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 6,500 megawatts (MW) since 1998.

Over 9,200 MW of thermal power, and over 6,900 MW of renewable power, have been proposed by industry for future development.

At present, Alberta has 13,638MW of installed generating capacity.  Peak demand in 2010 (climatic year) was 10,226MW – slightly down from 10,236 MW in 2009.

 

Alberta's Installed Generation and Interconnections Capacity

As of December 2011

Alberta's Installed Generation and Interconnections Capacity

Generating Capacity

Megawatt (MW)

    Coal

6,185

    Gas

5,233

    Hydro

900

    Wind

893

    Biomass

354

    Waste Heat* 

61

    Fuel Oil

12

    Subtotal

13,638

Interconnections Capacity



    British Columbia

750

    Saskatchewan

150

    Subtotal

900

Grand Total

14,538

Source:  The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) and 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 - 2010

Generation

Gigawatt hour (GWh)**

    Coal

41,120

    Natural Gas

24,058

    Hydro

1620

    Wind

1629

    Biomass

1909

    Other

250

    Total

70,586

Source: ERCB

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Generation Additions Since 1998

Developer 

Location 

Installed Capacity
(MW) 

 Type

Year On-line

CNRL &ATCO Power Primrose   85  Gas Cogeneration  1998
Vision Quest (TransAlta) Waterton Area     2 Wind  1998
Dow / TransAlta Fort Saskatchewan 120  Gas Cogeneration  1999
Suncrude Canada Aurora   80   Gas Cogeneration   1999
ATCO Power Poplar Hill   45  Natural Gas  1999
ATCO Power Rainbow Lake 4   45  Gas Cogeneration   1999
BC Hydro Fort Nelson   45  Natural Gas  1999
Drayton Valley Power Dapp   17  Biomass  1999
BP Canada Energy Various   10  Natural Gas  1999
Maxim Energy Corp. Gold Creek    7  Waste Heat  1999
Altek Power Willesden Green    1  Flare Gas  1999
ATCO / NOVA / EPCOR Joffre 480 Gas Cogeneration  2000
Air Liquide Scotford   80 Gas Cogeneration  2000
Vision Quest (TransAlta) Castle River   10 Wind  2000
TransCanada Medicine Hat/Cancarb   27 Waste Heat  2000
Canadian Hydro Developers Taylor Chute Hydro   14 Hydro  2000
Devon Canada Corp. Devon   12 Natural Gas  2000
Canadian Hydro Developers Drywood     6 Natural Gas  2000
Mercury Electric Corp. Alberta     3 Natural Gas  2000
Canadian Hydro Developers Cowley Ridge Exp.     2 Wind  2000
University of Alberta Edmonton Exp. 25 Gas Cogeneration 2000
TransAlta Suncor Poplar Creek 360 Gas Cogeneration  2001
Encana Cavalier 120 Gas Cogeneration  2001
Encana / Nexen Balzac 106 Gas Cogeneration  2001
TransCanada Carseland   80 Gas Cogeneration  2001
ATCO Power Rainbow Lake 5   45 Gas Cogeneration  2001
TransCanada Redwater   40 Gas Cogeneration  2001
Vision Quest (TransAlta) Castle River Exp.    29 Wind  2001
Canadian Hydro Developers Cowley North   20 Wind  2001
TransCanada Medicine Hat/Cancarb exp.   9 Waste Heat  2001
Maxim Energy Corp. APP - Taber     8 Natural Gas  2001
Canadian Hydro Developers Sinnott     7 Wind  2001
Maxim Energy Corp. APP - Burdette     7 Natural Gas  2001
Maxim Energy Corp.  APP - Coaldale     6 Natural Gas  2001
Penn West Buck Lake     6 Gas Cogeneration  2001
Maxim Energy Corp.  APP - Fort MacLeod     4 Natural Gas  2001
Vision Quest (TransAlta) Wateron Area additions     2 Wind  2001
EPCOR/ Peigan First Nation Pincher Creek (Weather Dancer)     1 Wind  2001
Lundbrek Developments Lundbrek     1 Wind  2001
Maxim Energy Corp. Gift Lake     1 Waste Heat  2001
ATCO Power Albian Muskeg River 170 Gas Cogeneration  2002
Imperial Oil Cold Lake 168 Gas Cogeneration  2002
TransCanada Bear Creek   80 Gas & Biomass
Cogeneration
 2002
ATCO Power Valleyview 1   45 Natural Gas  2002
TransAlta Sundance #6 exp.   35 Coal  2002
Northstone Power Corp. Elmworth Area   12 Natural Gas  2002
Permolex Red Deer     4 Gas Cogeneration  2002
Maxim Energy Corp. EVI     3 Natural Gas  2002
Vision Quest (TransAlta) Summerview pilot     2 Wind 2002
Calpine Calgary 300 Natural Gas  2003
ATCO Power Scotford 180 Gas Cogeneration  2003
TransCanada McKay River 165 Gas Cogeneration  2003
EnCana Foster Creek   80 Gas Cogeneration  2003
Vision Quest (TransAlta) McBride Lake   75 Wind  2003
ATCO Power Oldman River
1, 2
  32 Hydro  2003
ATCO Power

Albanian Muskeg River exp.

  30 Gas Cogeneration  2003
SAIT Calgary     3 Gas Cogeneration  2003
Vision Quest (TransAlta) McBride Lake East     1 Wind  2003
Vision Quest (TransAlta) Summerview #1    68 Wind  2004
Suncor / Enbridge /
EHN
Magrath    30 Wind  2004
Irrican St. Mary River      7 Hydro  2004
Mercury Electric Corp.  Alberta exp.      5 Natural Gas  2004
Vision Quest (TransAlta) MacLeod Flats     3 Wind  2004
EPCOR Genesee 3  450 Coal  2005
Canadian Hydro Developers Grande Prairie    25 Biomass Cogeneration  2005
Talisman Edson    12 Gas Cogeneration  2005
EnCana / Nexen Balzac      9 Gas Cogeneration  2005
EPCOR Clover Bar      5 Biogas  2005
Highmark Renewables Vegreville      1 Biogas  2005
Syncrude Mildred Lake    97 Gas Cogeneration 2006
Syncrude Canada Aurora exp.    80 Gas Cogeneration  2006
GW Power/Nexen Soderglen    71 Wind  2006
Suncor Chin Chute    30 Wind  2006
ATCO Power Sheerness #1 exp.    12 Coal  2006
ATCO Power Sheerness #2 exp.    12 Coal  2006
Kettle Hills Wind
Energy
Pincher Creek      9 Wind  2006
Canadian Hydro
Developers
Taylor      3 Wind  2006
Enmax Purple Springs Taber    81 Wind  2007
Suncor Firebag    85 Gas Cogeneration  2007
Kettle Hills Wind
Energy
Pincher Creek exp.    54 Wind  2007
TransAlta Wabamun / Sundance #4 exp.    53 Coal  2007
City of Medicine Hat Medicine Hat upgrade    10 Natural Gas  2007
Air Liquide Scotford exp.    16 Gas Cogeneration  2007
OPTI/Nexen Long Lake   180 Gas Cogeneration  2008
CNRL Horizon
Phase 1
Fort McMurray   103 Gas Cogeneration  2008
Constellation
Northern Prairie
Grande Prairie     93 Natural Gas  2008
EPCOR Edmonton / Clover Bar #1     48 Natural Gas  2008
ATCO Valleyview #2 Valleyview 2     47 Natural Gas  2008
Shell Canada Caroline     20 Waste Heat  2008
AltaGas Bantry       7 Natural Gas  2008
AltaGas Parkland       7 Natural Gas  2008
EnCana/Nexen Balzac exp.       5 Gas Cogeneration  2008
BC Hydro Fort Nelson upgrade       2 Natural Gas  2008
SAIT Calgary upgrade       1 Gas Cogeneration  2008
EPCOR Edmonton / Clover Bar #2  101 Natural Gas  2009
EPCOR Edmonton / Clover Bar #3  101  Natural Gas  2009
MEG Energy Christina Lake 1         94 Gas Cogeneration  2009
TransAlta Fort MacLeod / Blue Trail Wind Farm     66 Wind  2009
TransAlta Wabamun / Sundance #5 exp.     53 Coal  2009
City of Medicine Hat CT15     42  Natural Gas  2009
 Enmax  Airdrie / Crossfield #1     40  Natural Gas  2009
 Enmax  Airdrie / Crossfield #2     40  Natural Gas  2009
 Enmax  Airdrie / Crossfield #3     40  Natural Gas  2009
ATCO Power Scotford exp     15 Gas Cogeneration  2009
ATCO Power Albian Muskeg River upgrade       2 Gas Cogeneration  2009
Finavera Ghost Pine Wind Farm     82 Wind  2010
TransAlta Summerview #2     66 Wind  2010
TransAlta Ardenville Wind Farm     66 Wind  2010
Nexen Long Lake exp.     40 Natural Gas  2010
AltaGas Harmattan     15 Natural Gas  2010
TransAlta/Capital Power Keephills 3   450 Coal  2011
Weyerhaeuser Canada  Grande Prairie Pulp Mill     48  Biomass Cogeneration  2011
Suncor Wintering Hills/Drumheller Area     88 Wind 2011
University of Calgary Calgary Exp.     15 Gas Cogeneration 2011
Total New
Generation Addition
6,558
Source:  Based on ERCB, AESO and industry information.

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Proposed Generation

 As of August 2011

Type

Number of Projects

Total Capacity (MW)

Renewables

39

6,907

Thermal and Other

36

9,260

Total

75

16,167

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:

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Generation Decommissions Since 1998

Developer 

Location 

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

Total Decommissioned
Generation

1,480
Source:  ERCB

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Imports / Exports

      2006 2007  2008  2009  2010

Exports volume (MWh) 

    489,465

     973,217 

     558,759 

   513,162 459,381

Exports value ($ million) 

      $19.40        $37.10        $25.38      $14.21 12.82

Imports volume (MWh)

 1,517,035   1,467,221   2,248,118 2,018,607 2,204,839

Imports value ($ million) 

    $193.27      $147.40      $266.00    $124.17 144.81
Source:  AESO

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Operations

 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009

2010

Peak Demand* (MW) 

    9,661     9,701      9,806

10,236

10,196

Average Pool Price ($/MWh)**

    80.79     66.95      89.95

 47.81

50.88

 Maximum Pool Price ($/MWh)     1,000     1,000      1,000

   1,000 

1,000

 Minimum Pool Price ($/MWh)       5.42            0             0

       0.10

0

 Total Energy (GWh)**   69,371    69,661    69,947

 69,904

71,723

Number of Power Pool Participants

222

       209         213

       210

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.external link icon  

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Customer Usage Estimates

Number of Customers

                    Usage (GwH)

 

2009

 2010

2006 

 2007

2008

2009

2010 

Residential

 1,281,296

  1,305,451

    8,232

    8,558

  8,833

  9,090

 9,071

Farm 

    81,247

       82,505

    1,767

    1,806

  1,803

  1,900

 1,708

Commercial

     160,796

    163,722

  12,715

  13,134

13,526

13,534

 13,748

Industrial 

     36,350

      36,646

  29,017

  28,340

27,878

26,803

 27,076

Total*

 1,559,689

  1,588,324

  51,731

  51,838

52,041

51,328

 51,603

* 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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