Calgary power plant expansion sought by Enmax

Enmax is asking the provincial utilities regulator for permission to expand one of its Calgary power plants.

It wants the Alberta Utilities Commission to approve theaddition of three natural gas-fired generators to the Calgary Energy Centre. The plantis located on thenortheastern outskirts of the city.

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Thenew generators would add almost 200 megawatts of power to the plant's capacity. It currently produces 320 megawatts of electricity.

Enmax said Alberta's electrical grid will rely more on wind and solar power facilities in the future andwants the additional capacity at this plant forwhat's known as "peaking power"when the electricity is needed due to a lack of windor sun.

Alberta's climate change policy calls for a gradual phasing-out of the province's coal-fired power plants.

If approved by the AUC, the new generators would go intoservicein 2019. Enmax, which is owned by the City of Calgary, is not releasing a budget for the project at this time.

Climate change plan

Jim Law with the AUC said there have been six applications for new power generating facilities in the past year. They include fivenatural gas-fired projects and one new wind farm.

Just because an application is made to the AUC doesn't always mean the project is going ahead.

Law said once the AUC approves a project, construction istypically based on market forces and an applicant's final decision to proceed.

Of the six applications in 2015-16, Law said"We have two that are active, two are actually on hold and we've had two decisions issued, so from year to yearit can vary in terms of what actually gets built."

The AUC is ready for the additional applications that could appear as the province's climate change policy moves ahead.

"It's only recently the climate plan was announced and so Ithink in the coming months, as details are finalized around the AESO (Alberta Electric System Operator)plan to bring renewables on, we'd expect to see an uptick," saidLaw.