Premier Danielle Smith said Alberta needs to add more baseload electrical power to ensure the power grid can handle the province's energy needs, August 29, 2023. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Premier Smith says Alberta needs more energy following grid alert

Aug 29, 2023 | 6:38 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Alberta’s premier believes that more needs to be done to ensure residents are not subject to frequent strains on the electrical grid.

Danielle Smith’s comments came after the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) issued a Level 3 grid alert at 3:08 p.m. on Monday, August 28, 2023.

The AESO said the provincial power system was under stress due to a combination of hot weather, low wind energy generation, and a power outage in B.C. that impacted the intertie capability.

The internal load on the grid reached a peak of 11,188 megawatts at approximately 4:00 p.m. The pool price for electricity capped out at $999.99 per megawatt hour Monday afternoon, which fell to around $50 to $72 per megawatt hour by the following morning.

The grid alert was cancelled just after 8:00 p.m. as the AESO said the grid was once again stable and working as normal.

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Smith said Alberta relies almost entirely on natural gas to power homes and businesses, supplemented with wind and solar.

“It is critical that Alberta add more base-load power from natural gas and other sources to our electricity grid to protect the reliability and affordability of power for Albertans,” said Smith.

On August 3, 2023, the Government of Alberta announced a seven-month pause on approving any new wind and solar energy generation projects over one megawatt, saying that it will use that time to review all policies and procedures related to renewable power.

The Pembina Institute estimated that as many as 188 projects are impacted by the pause.

The Alberta Utilities Commission said it will continue to receive and process applications for new renewables during this time, but will not be able to approve them until after the moratorium has been lifted, which is expected to happen at the end of February 2024.

READ MORE: Alberta to pause new renewable energy permits while reviewing policies

READ MORE: Smith and Neudorf talk healthcare, renewables pause during Whoop-Up Days

Kathleen Ganley, Alberta NDP Critic for Energy (Oil and Gas, Minerals and Hydrogen), made the following statement in response to the AESO issuing a Grid Alert:

“Price spikes and unreliable electricity supply in Alberta are the result of the UCP’s botched handling of the provincial grid.

“Albertans are facing unprecedented energy bills, and unprecedented wildfires, while Danielle Smith bans the development of renewable energy. Her actions will limit the supply of electricity, while increasing costs and the emissions that drive climate change.

“Alberta families and businesses need an immediate emergency rate cap, and public hearings into both skyrocketing prices and Danielle Smith’s sabotage of the renewable energy sector.”