Alerts demonstrate why flexibility is needed in Ottawa’s Clean Energy Regulations to decarbonize the country’s electricity grids, according to energy and environmental economist Andrew Leach.
Alerts demonstrate why flexibility is needed in Ottawa’s Clean Energy Regulations to decarbonize the country’s electricity grids, according to energy and environmental economist Andrew Leach.
Yeah. AESO correctly identifies that individuals reducing demand saved the day for them, but I don’t buy any direct or tacit suggestion that people needing to heat their house caused the problem. The suppliers and the privatized grid did that, in much the same way as Texas with their winter storms.
A privatized grid means that things work fine and all when things go well but when they don’t, taxpayers foot the bill for corporate (at a cool $1/kWh) and are literally left out in the cold and dark.
AB, SK (and MB a little) will hum and haw about how “renewable grids did this” as usual but just like Texas again Natural gas makes up the largest generation portion and these issues are happening because of problems on that end.
Thanks for a high quality reply / addition. What’s the source for that chart? I’m not 100% sure how to interpret it.
It’s from Alberta Electric System Operator: https://www.aeso.ca/market/market-and-system-reporting/.
The graph is of the wholesale price of electricity to suppliers. In Alberta, you can “choose” who bills you for your power… In Edmonton for example, you can choose between regulated monthly variable price, fixed, and “market-rate” plans for the privilege of paying $1/kWh only when you need it most. Compare to Toronto or Vancouver which have rates based on time of use or monthly usage, each which save you way more on average.