Rising Threat to Canada’s Power Grids Due to Intensifying Winter Storms and Heat Waves
Recent Electricity Grid Alerts in Alberta Gain National Attention, Highlighting Wider North American Vulnerability to Severe Weather
While last week’s deep freeze led to a series of electricity grid alerts in Alberta, experts caution that power systems throughout North America are facing an escalating risk of overload during severe weather events. Francis Bradley, CEO of Electricity Canada, emphasized that the impact of climate change-related extreme weather is increasingly challenging the resilience of electricity grids across the continent.
“Over the last two years or so, during these extremes of weather, we’ve seen new peaks hit in terms of electricity demand,” Bradley said in an interview.
“And it’s not just in Alberta. We saw new peak demands hit last summer in Ontario, we saw new peak demand hit last winter in Quebec, for example. In most regions of the country, the extremes are increasing.”
In the United States, electricity grids have faced increasing challenges in recent years. Texas experienced blackouts in 2021 due to winter storms, while California declared multiple emergency grid alerts amid scorching heat waves.
Meanwhile, in Canada, residents of Alberta received an emergency alert from the provincial government last weekend, urging immediate power conservation as temperatures plummeted to -40°C. Despite the potential for rotating blackouts, none were necessary, as the Alberta Electric System Operator reported a significant drop in electricity consumption within minutes of the alert issuance.
However, data from the operator reveals a rising frequency of grid alerts in Alberta during both heat waves and cold snaps. While the electric system operator issued only four provincial grid alerts in the four-year period from 2017 to 2020, there has been a significant increase, with an additional 17 alerts issued since 2021.
Political Debates Emerge Over Electricity Grid Reliability in Alberta Amidst Transition to Green Energy
The reliability of Alberta’s electricity grid has become a key political issue as the province undergoes a transition away from dispatchable coal-fired power plants, coupled with a significant rise in intermittent wind and solar capacity. This shift has ignited debates regarding the feasibility of a swift transition to green energy.
A November report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has raised concerns, indicating that much of North America faces an increased risk of “insufficient energy supplies” to meet demand during extreme conditions, such as prolonged cold snaps. While U.S. jurisdictions are generally more susceptible to winter grid interruptions due to their limited preparation for cold weather, the report also identifies vulnerable areas in Canada.
Saskatchewan, for instance, is classified as being at “high” risk of electricity demand shortfalls this winter, attributed to increased demand projections, the retirement of a natural-gas-fired power plant, and planned generator maintenance. Both Quebec and the Maritimes are also highlighted as being at “elevated risk” in the report.
