IPPSA Intelligence

AESO

Recent updates highlight accelerated engagement on Alberta’s grid modernization, blending new storage projects, market redesign, tariff revisions and reliability planning.

The AESO has proposed the Jumbo Battery Storage Project near Fort Macleod and posted a Needs Overview to integrate large-scale batteries and support flexible reserves. From October 2025, revised naming conventions for connection applications aim to streamline administrative processes.

The Restructured Energy Market ISO rules package advances with stakeholder sessions, corrected blacklines— notably Section 212.8 on reserve dispatch directives—and multiple feedback opportunities between mid-September and October. Responses to comments on Section 7 of the ISO tariff clarify generating unit owner contribution obligations and cost allocations. A 2025 Reliability Requirements Roadmap, available online, sets planning targets and hosts a virtual information session to ensure system adequacy amid growing renewable and storage penetration.

Key deadlines span September 16 through October 20, covering data centre connections, fast frequency response product design, rule clarifications and cost claim submissions.

Alberta’s power system is advancing two key transmission projects designed to integrate more renewable generation and storage, including a 240 kV T-tap connection to serve the Eastervale Solar Facility near Amisk and a new switching substation plus 240 kV tap and line to link Neoen’s Jumbo Battery Storage Facility near Fort Macleod. Both projects follow AESO’s rigorous Needs Identification Document and Need Overview processes, complete with engineering connection assessments, capital cost estimates and public involvement programs.

References:

1. AESO Stakeholder Newsletter — Sept 10, 2025: Jumbo Battery Connection, Corrected REM ISO Rules (Section 212.8), Tariff Responses & 2025 Reliability Roadmap
2. AESO Files Needs Identification for Eastervale Solar Project - 240 kV T‑tap Connection to Existing 1047L and Supporting Assessments
3. AESO proposes Stowe 1133S substation and 240 kV transmission tap to connect Neoen’s Jumbo Battery Storage (Fort Macleod)

McCain Foods Appeal AUC Denial

The $600-million expansion of McCain Foods’ Coaldale facility in Alberta aims to double capacity and add two production lines, creating about 260 jobs. To supply most of its electricity needs and feed excess into the provincial grid, McCain and its partner Coaldale Renewables proposed up to 40 MW of generation from five wind turbines and a solar array, but the Alberta Utilities Commission denied the application on grounds that the non-contiguous siting of turbines and panels across multiple properties separated by roads and rail meant the power could not be consumed solely at the plant and would improperly infringe on FortisAlberta’s exclusive distribution rights.

The applicants argue the AUC’s interpretation is overly restrictive, arbitrary, and contrary to the public interest in lowering grid demand and spurring investment. In granting leave to appeal, the Alberta Court of Appeal questioned whether the commission erred in imposing a single-site contiguity requirement and in refusing a self-supply exception inside Fortis’s service area. 

References:

1. Court of Appeal Lets McCain Appeal After AUC Denies 40‑MW Wind and Solar Plan for $600M Coaldale Expansion

AUC Approves East Ring Upgrade

Alberta’s East Ring Enhancement Project involves upgrading a 24-kilometre transmission line from 69 kV to 138 kV, effectively doubling capacity to support projected residential and commercial growth across Medicine Hat’s east side and adjacent Cypress County. Following public engagement beginning in October 2023 and a facility application filed in October 2024, the Alberta Utilities Commission approved the proposal in September 2025 after reviewing environmental assessments, community feedback and engineering analyses.

The upgrade will reinforce system resilience, alleviate transmission constraints and facilitate new development in Brier Park, Ranchlands, Parkview, Southlands and beyond. Construction is slated to run from early 2027 through 2029, with detailed planning and procurement now underway. Enhanced capacity is expected to spur economic activity, improve service reliability and shape neighbourhood planning as Medicine Hat prepares for long-term growth.

References:

1. AUC approves 24‑km East Ring upgrade to double Medicine Hat’s transmission capacity and support east-side growth (2027–2029)

Nova Scotia Power’s 4.1% Rate-Hike Proposal Sparks Political Clash and Credit-Rating Risk

Nova Scotia Power plans residential rate increases, proposed at 4.1% in 2026 and 2027, to fund vegetation trimming, storm hardening and grid reliability work as fuel driven costs pushed charges higher earlier. The utility says the average across classes would be about 2.1%; current residential bills include a $19.17 monthly fixed charge and 18.6 cents per kWh. After months of consultation the proposal reportedly won broad support from residential, small business and industrial representatives, but Premier Tim Houston has publicly urged withdrawal or reduction, citing affordability and an election pledge to cap increases.

Government intervention in 2022 that limited increases triggered credit downgrades, and rating agencies warn further political interference could prompt another downgrade, while permitting cost recovery might improve the utility's credit outlook. More than 40 percent of Nova Scotians struggle with energy costs, and a task force recommends targeted subsidies for low income households, though the provincial energy board says rates must permit recovery of reasonable costs and profit without special rate carve outs. 

References:

1. Nova Scotia Power’s 4.1% Rate-Hike Proposal Sparks Political Clash and Credit-Rating Risk

Greenwood Acquires 556 MW Homestead Solar Project

Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure’s acquisition of the 556 MW Homestead Solar Project from Kiwetinohk Energy significantly scales its North American utility‑scale solar and battery-storage footprint, lifting its pipeline to about 2.1 GW DC of solar and 340 MW of storage and supporting a 5 GW target by 2029.

The Homestead project, approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission in 2022 and slated for 2027 completion, would rank among Canada’s largest solar plants and serve as a near‑term flagship asset. The deal highlights persistent investor appetite despite Alberta’s recent renewables moratorium and tightened siting rules, regulatory shifts that have damped corporate offtake and reduced deal volumes since 2021. Economically, Homestead enhances Greenwood’s scale and project bankability, but regulatory uncertainty could slow financing and corporate procurement in the province.

References:

1. Greenwood Acquires 556 MW Homestead Solar Project in Alberta, Bolstering 2.1 GW North American Pipeline and 2027 Delivery Target

Bruce Power’s Units 3–8 Refurbishment: Progress Toward ~7,000 MW, 2033 Completion and $4B Annual Economic Boost by Ontario Construction News

Bruce Power is executing a multi-unit refurbishment of Units 3–8 at its Ontario site aiming to extend life, boost reliability and keep producing low‑carbon electricity through to and beyond 2033. Unit 4 was taken offline in February for a three‑year overhaul with major component replacements; Unit 3 is expected back in 2026 and Unit 6’s earlier work supplied lessons for later outages.

Current peak output is about 6,550 MW with planned peak near 7,000 MW as refurbishments finish in the 2030s. The program supports roughly 22,000 jobs annually, contributes about $4 billion a year to Ontario’s economy, sustains regional supply chains and preserves medical‑isotope production. 

References:

1. Bruce Power’s Units 3–8 Refurbishment: Progress Toward ~7,000 MW, 2033 Completion and $4B Annual Economic Boost

Canada Announces $5.8M for B.C. Carbon Capture and CO2-Utilization Projects

The Government of Canada announced $5.8 million in federal funding to advance carbon capture and CO2 utilization projects in British Columbia, directed to three companies: Svante ($1.3M) for enhanced testing and new facilities; Anodyne Chemistries ($2.0M) to demonstrate and scale industrial processes converting CO2 streams into chemical commodities like formate; and Agora Energy Technologies ($2.4M) to develop capture and utilization capable of handling impure flue gas.

The investments target demonstration, testing and scale-up steps that bridge lab research and commercial deployment, aiming to reduce industrial emissions, stimulate local supply chains, and create skilled jobs across B.C. and Canada.

References:

1. Canada Announces $5.8M for B.C. Carbon Capture and CO2-Utilization Projects to Scale Clean Tech and Create Jobs

Alberta Minister Defends Grid Reliability and Seeks Public Input on Potential Nuclear Power

Minister Neudorf responded to a piece in the Lethbridge Herald on the limitations of nuclear energy. He argues the province has strengthened grid reliability through 2024 additions of more than 3,000 MW of quickly dispatchable baseload capacity and a new requirement that gas plants remain available during high demand, citing surplus supply and no recent grid alerts. Future electricity demand has prompted officials to study nuclear as a potential low‑emission, 24/7 dispatchable option that complements intermittent wind and solar.

The minister acknowledges historical public concerns about nuclear safety and emphasizes a public engagement process including a Nuclear Energy Development Survey open until Sept. 25 and a longer advisory panel consultation to shape any future steps. Short‑term policy moves focus on immediate reliability through capacity additions and market rules for gas generation; long‑term planning could require regulatory changes, major capital investment, and shifts in market design to integrate large baseload plants.

References:

1. Alberta Minister Defends Grid Reliability and Seeks Public Input on Potential Nuclear Power

Rocky View County Rejects Kineticor Data‑Centre Campus ASP

Rocky View County council rejected Kineticor Asset Management’s proposed Area Structure Plan and redesignation for a 448-hectare data‑centre campus after public hearings where residents and councillors prioritized protecting agricultural land and local character. The developer’s plan — which would have rezoned farmland to a Special Data Centre District with supporting public service and park areas, phased development, stormwater facilities and the possibility of on‑site natural‑gas generation — had undergone public engagement and technical studies on water, wastewater, stormwater and transportation and followed council’s approved terms of reference.

The Alberta Electric System Operator had set aside an electricity allocation for Phase 1, signaling available grid capacity, but energy readiness and proponent amendments (tighter phasing and a council‑approved master site development plan) failed to overcome community opposition. With the ASP and bylaw refused, the proposed campus cannot proceed and current agricultural zoning remains. The decision underscores that energy infrastructure readiness does not guarantee municipal approval: land‑use compatibility, agricultural impacts and community acceptance drive outcomes.

References:

1. Rocky View County Rejects Kineticor Data‑Centre Campus ASP, Citing Agricultural Impacts Despite AESO Power Allocation

Nuclear Nation Building

Clean Prosperity argues that expanding nuclear power in Canada could deliver economic and climate benefits if governments coordinate on accelerated electrification, standardized deployment and cost transparency. Clean Prosperity’s modelling suggests Canada could more than triple nuclear capacity between 2035 and 2050, roughly adding one large reactor per year, which would support industrial competitiveness and reliable low‑carbon baseload for deep electrification.

Achieving that scale requires three policy pillars: prioritize electrification and strengthen carbon markets to raise low‑carbon electricity value; adopt fleet‑based planning and repeat standardized reactor designs sited on existing or pre‑licensed sites to capture learning‑by‑doing and economies of scale; and publish granular cost data (for example Ontario’s BWRX‑300 Darlington project) while preparing off‑ramps if cost declines stall.

References:

1. Nuclear Nation Building: Coordinated Electrification, Fleet Standardization and Cost Transparency to Unlock Major Nuclear Expansion in Canada

Revolve Renewable Power Awaits AUC Decision on Alberta Solar

Revolve Renewable Power reports progress across development and operating portfolios, advancing two Mexican wind projects (El24, Presa Nueva) totaling over 500 MW through interconnection work, yield and layout optimization, strengthened land control and stakeholder engagement, with near‑term resubmission and monetization planning.

In Alberta, the 15.7 MW Bright Meadows solar project is under Alberta Utilities Commission review; approval would trigger geotechnical testing, an RFP for construction, pursuit of a PPA and project financing, and construction readiness steps. Key risks include regulatory approvals, grid access, financing, construction and market price volatility; outcomes hinge on AUC decisions, PPAs and successful project monetization. Investor returns and timing remain largely contingent on market conditions, policy shifts, and execution efficiency.

References:

1. Revolve Renewable Power Advances 500+ MW of Mexican Wind, Awaits AUC Decision on Alberta Solar as 195 MW Mexico DG Pipeline Expands

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