Hours after the Alberta Emergency Alert system was triggered due to The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) declaring a grid alert, the alert ended at 8:40 p.m.

"An urgent appeal to Albertans to conserve electricity tonight was instrumental in avoiding rotating power outages and lifting a Grid Alert that had been declared at 3:30 p.m. due to extreme cold and high electricity demand," AESO stated in a news release.

The AESO worked with the Government of Alberta to issue an Emergency Alert to Albertans, asking them to immediately reduce their electricity use to essential needs only. Almost immediately after the alert was issued, the AESO saw a significant 100 MW drop in electricity demand, which amounted to a 200 MW reduction within minutes. 

"The province-wide response to the call for energy conservation was tremendous," said Mike Law, President and CEO of the AESO. "On behalf of the AESO, I would like to extend my thanks to all Albertans who responded to the call for action, which ensured we didn’t have to progress to rotating outages, keeping our grid up and running for all Albertans."

At approximately 3:30 on Saturday, a second grid alert in less than 24 hours, was announced by AESO, in response to ongoing extreme cold temperatures across western Canada, restricted imports and very high demand.  

Previously, the AESO projected the Alberta grid could face a 100 to 200 Megawatts (MW) shortfall of electricity during peak evening hours, warning of the possibility of rolling power outages. 

With extremely cold temperatures forecast through tomorrow, the AESO requests that Albertans continue to conserve energy during the peak demand period from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Tips to conserve electricity include:

  • Turn off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances;
  • Minimize the use of space heaters;
  • Delay the use of major power-consuming appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers;
  • Delay charging electric vehicles and/or plugging in block heaters;
  • Cook with your microwave, crockpot or toaster oven instead of an electric stove or oven;
  • Limit the use of kitchen or bathroom ventilation fans;
  • Work on a laptop instead of a desktop computer (laptops are more energy-efficient than desktop units);
  • Unplug electric appliances when not in use, as they continue to drain energy even if they’re off (or use a power bar to cut power to multiple appliances with a single button);
  • Close your curtains/shades/blinds to cover drafty windows.

Airdrie and much of Alberta are still under an extreme cold warning. 

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