AESO Canada Market: Alberta Electricity Prices

Canada - AESO Market

Scientifically-backed forecasts for a sustainable energy transition

Alberta’s electricity market in Canada is managed by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), which is responsible for operating the province’s interconnected electrical system and administering the electricity market. The market began operating in its current form in 2000, following a liberalisation process that enabled active participation by generators, traders and consumers.

Alberta has a generation mix historically dominated by coal and natural gas, but in recent years has experienced rapid growth in renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power.

Alberta’s electrical system is undergoing profound transformation:

The gradual closure of coal-fired power plants and their replacement with renewable sources and natural gas is reducing the carbon intensity of the electricity sector.
Alberta has established incentives and market mechanisms that have driven the development of numerous solar and wind projects without direct subsidies, many supported by corporate power purchase agreements (PPA).
AESO is exploring new solutions such as energy storage, grid modernisation and the participation of distributed energy resources to improve system flexibility.
Although Alberta does not participate in a traditional capacity market, complementary mechanisms are being analysed to ensure reliability in a system with high renewable penetration.

At AleaSoft, we have been providing services for international electricity markets for 27 years, including Alberta (AESO). We provide energy price forecasting, energy demand forecasting and renewable production forecasting, tailored to the needs of generators, traders, corporate buyers, investors and system operators.