Changes have been made to electricity market rules in Alberta which the provincial government says will restore the balance between affordability, reliability and sustainability.
The Minister of Affordability and Utilities, Nathan Neudorf, says with some high demand periods expected during the winter, the changes will make the power grid more stable.
“We’ve brought on about 2200 megawatts, which is about a 20% increase to our market. That should give us lots of dispatchable generation throughout the winter. It’s about stabilizing and balancing our grid so no matter where you live, you’re going to get the lowest cost possible to you for your electricity.”
It’s expected that Alberta’s need for electricity could more than quadruple in the coming decades.
Neudorf says another part of reason for the changes is getting in more renewables that have unique characteristics.
“The intermittent nature of renewables means that what do you do when it’s not there? That’s where we saw the volatility enter the system and the price spikes enter the system. That’s why in reviewing our grid and talking to all stakeholders, there was a very strong acknowledgement that we needed to restructure our market to allow the market to respond in a more balanced way.”
Neudorf says affordability and reliability were the provinces main priorities in their restructuring of the electricity market.
You can listen to the full interview below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
