Electricity Statistics

Electricity Supply
An important objective of electricity restructuring has been the development of a competitive generation market. Access for all power producers to Alberta's interconnected transmission grid is integral to the success of electricity generation.

Alberta's restructured electricity industry has encouraged efficiencies and allowed new generation supply to come on-line to keep pace with one of the fastest growing economies in North America.

Alberta has seen new generation capacity additions of over 7,300 megawatts (MW) since 1998.

Over 7,100 MW of thermal power, and over 3,800 MW of renewable power, have been proposed by industry for future development.

At present, Alberta has 13,849 MW of installed generating capacity.  Peak demand in 2011 (climatic year) was an all-time high 10,609 MW – up 383 MW from 10,226 in 2010.

 

Alberta's Installed Generation and Interconnections Capacity

As of November 2012

Generating Capacity	Megawatt (MW)
Coal	5,679
Gas	5,664
Hydro	900
Wind	1,123
Biomass	409
Waste Heat*	62
Fuel Oil	12
Subtotal	13,849
Interconnections Capacity
British Columbia	750
Saskatchewan	150
Subtotal	900
Grand Total	14,749

Source:  The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) and the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO).

*Waste heat generation is a system that produces electricity from a heat source that is a by-product of an existing industrial process, the heat that would have been otherwise wasted.

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Alberta's Electrcity Generation - 2011

Generation	Gigawatt hour (GWh)**
Coal	38,859
Natural Gas	25,078
Hydro	2,036
Wind	2,419
Biomass	1,972
Other	321
Total	70,685

Source: AUC

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Generation Additions Since 1998

Please click here for a complete list of all Generation Additions Since 1998.

Source:  Based on ERCB, AUC, AESO and industry information.

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Proposed Generation

 As of November 2012

Type	Number of Projects	Total Capacity (MW)
Renewables	35	3,855
Thermal and Other	40	7,188
Total	75	11,042

Source:  AESO
Proposed Generation Includes:  Projects under Active Construction; Projects with Regulatory Approval; Projects that have been announced, Applied for AESO Interconnection and/or applied for Regulatory Approval; and Projects that have been deferred.

For a complete listing of Proposed Generation projects visit AESO's website at:

• Long Term Adequacy Metrics 
• AESO Project List

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Generation Decommissions Since 1998

Developer	Unit	Capacity Removed (MW)	Type	Decommissioning Date
ATCO Power	Battle River 1, 2	56	Coal	1998
TransAlta	Wabamun 3	140	Coal	2003
TransAlta	Wabamun 1, 2	128	Coal	2005
EPCOR	Clover Bar	629	Natural Gas	2005
Mercury Electric Corp.	Alberta	8	Natural Gas	2005
EPCOR	Rossdale 8, 9, 10	203	Natural Gas	2009
City of Medicine Hat	Units 5, 8	37	Natural Gas	2009
TransAlta	Wabamun 4	279	Coal	2010
Weyerhaeuser Canada	Grande Prairie Pulp Mill	33	Biomass	2011
Total Decommissioned Generation		1,513

Source:  ERCB

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Imports / Exports

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Exports volume (MWh)	973,217	558,759	513,162	459,381	118,858
Exports value ($ million)	$37.10	$25.38	$14.21	$12.82	$5.26
Imports volume (MWh)	1,467,221	2,248,118	2,018,607	2,204,839	3,591,487
Imports value ($ million)	$147.40	$266.00	$124.17	$144.81	$315.61

Source:  AESO

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Operations

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Peak Demand* (MW)	9,710	9,806	10,236	10,226	10,609
Average Pool Price ($/MWh)**	66.95	89.95	47.81	50.88	76.22
Maximum Pool Price ($/MWh)	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,000
Minimum Pool Price ($/MWh)	0	0	0.10	0	0
Total Energy (GWh)**	69,661	69,947	69,914	71,723	73,600
Number of Power Pool Participants	209	213	210	164	164

Source:  AESO

*Peak demand is based on the climatic year (October to September).
**A gigawatt hour (GWh) is equal to 1,000 megawatt hours (MWh) and one MWh is equal to 1,000 kilowatt hours (KWh).  For context the average household in Alberta consumes 7,200 kWh (0.7 MWh) of electricity per year,

AESO also offers real time pricing reports.  

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Customer Usage Estimates

	Number of Customers		Usage (GwH)
	2010	2011	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Residential	1,305,451	1,323,804	8,558	8,833	9,090	9,071	9,333
Farm	82,505	82,752	1,806	1,803	1,900	1,708	1,828
Commercial	163,722	165,731	13,134	13,526	13,534	13,748	14,207
Industrial	36,646	37,027	28,340	27,878	26,803	27,076	27,294
Total*	1,588,324	1,609,314	51,838	52,041	51,328	51,603	52,662

* Total may not add due to rounding.  
Source:  ERCB
Does not include line losses and electricity generated on-site for on-site use.

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