AlbertaEx Electricity Export Application

Summary#

• On September 2, 2023, AlbertaEx, L.P. applied to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) for permission to export electricity to the United States.
• The company asked to export up to 2 000 000 megawatt‑hours (MWh) per year for 10 years, and the CER asked for public comments by October 2, 2023.

What it does#

• The application asks the CER, under Division 2 of Part 7 of the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to allow exports of up to 2 000 000 MWh annually for 10 years.
• The application says the applicant (or its affiliates) has interests in these Canadian facilities:
  • Montana‑Alberta Tie Line (MATL) — a 230 kilovolt (kV), 345 km transmission line between Lethbridge, Alberta, and Great Falls, Montana.
  • Rattlesnake Ridge Wind farm — 130 megawatt (MW) wind farm near Medicine Hat, Alberta.
  • NAT‑1 — a 20 MW natural‑gas generator near Medicine Hat, Alberta.
  • AltaLink — transmission facility owner in Alberta.
• The Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator is asking for submissions from interested parties. Written comments were due October 2, 2023, and the applicant’s answers to some submissions were due October 17, 2023.
• The Commission specifically wants views on:
  • the possible effect of the export on provinces other than the one the electricity comes from; and
  • whether Canadian buyers who had declared interest were informed and given a chance to buy electricity on terms at least as favourable as those offered for export.

Who's affected#

• AlbertaEx, L.P. (the applicant) and its affiliates or partners in the named facilities.
• Owners and operators of the listed generation and transmission facilities, including AltaLink and operators of MATL, Rattlesnake Ridge Wind farm, and NAT‑1.
• Electricity market participants and large buyers in Canada who might compete for the same supply.
• Provincial regulators and electricity systems in Alberta and other provinces that could see cross‑border trade effects.
• The public and local communities near the facilities may be interested, but the notice does not spell out direct local impacts.

Why it matters#

• Approving a permit would allow a sizeable, multi‑year flow of electricity out of Canada — up to 2 000 000 MWh per year for 10 years — which could influence supply options, market competition, or prices for some buyers in Canada.
• The CER is asking whether exporting this electricity would affect provinces other than Alberta and whether Canadian buyers were given a fair chance to buy the power first. Those points can shape the regulator’s decision.
• This was a consultation step, so public and industry input could affect whether the permit is granted and under what conditions.