Nearly two years after receiving Royal Assent, the Government of Alberta proclaimed the Electricity Statutes Modernizing Alberta s Electricity Grid Amendment Act the Act on March 6, 2024. The Act, formerly Bill 22, received Royal Assent May 31, 2022, but proclamation was delayed until the related regulations were developed and came into force. The Act amends key legislation including the Alberta Utilities Commission Act, the Electric Utilities Act and the Hydro and Electric Energy Act. Important supporting regulatory amendments include the updated Hydro and Electric Energy Regulation and the Transmission Amendment Regulation.
Electric grid operators across the country continue to announce expanded procurements for non-emitting electricity to ensure supply adequacy in a transforming energy landscape. These announcements continue procurement trends from recent years as provinces turn to private developers to meet growing demands for electricity supply and storage while aiming to achieve aggressive carbon emissions reductions targets.
In 2004, Alberta s Transmission Regulation established the framework for the planning and development of Alberta s electricity transmission infrastructure. Its intent was to attract new generation, increase competition, and serve expected increases in load. The regulation has remained largely unchanged since 2004. Meanwhile, the electricity system has experienced significant changes in part due to the dramatic increase in the amount of intermittent renewable power generation facilities connecting to the grid.