Prepared Winter 2016
As Alberta`s population continues to grow, increased energy production will be required to meet the increased demands on energy. Specifically, electricity production will need to increase to satisfy growth in household electricity demand, as well as to ensure commercial businesses have enough electricity to provide goods and services to their growing customer base.
This increased need for electricity generation is further emphasised when viewed through the lens of the Bow River basin, one of Alberta’s most densely populated watersheds.
Communities in the Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP) are expected to greatly contribute to population growth in the Bow River Basin. The population in these communities is forecast to grow to nearly 1.6 million inhabitants by 2030. Based on current data from the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) [1], one individual requires an average generation capacity of 1.32 kilowatts (kW). This means that to serve a population of 1.6 million people, a total generation capacity of 2,090 megawatts (MW) will be required.
In addition to providing electricity to a growing population, all Albertans are faced with the challenge of replacing coal-fired generation with other more environmentally friendly alternatives. In 2015 the Government of Alberta released its climate change plan that requires coal-fired generation to be phased out by 2030, with roughly one third of that generation capacity replaced by natural gas, and the rest met with renewable energy sources [2]. Although coal-generation does not occur inside of the Bow River Basin, communities in the basin use power generated from coal transmitted from generation facilities in Northern Alberta.
Existing natural gas power generation facilities in the CRP, such as Calgary Energy Centre [3] and Shepherd Energy Centre [4], are capable of meeting up to 1,120 MW of the forecasted 2,090 MW generation capacity in 2030. In addition, it is estimated renewables, hydro, and other facilities will meet up to 485 MW of forecasted generation capacity.
The combination of natural gas and renewables and hydro leaves a deficit of 23% of total generation capacity in the year 2030, which must be satisfied by other means. One option to satisfy this deficit is expanding natural gas generation facilities in the Bow River Basin.
Based on data from the Alberta Utilities Commission, per capita demand of electricity is approximately 32,543 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per person [5], including residential, commercial, and industrial activity. Therefore, in 2030, the CRP’s population can be expected to consume a total of 52 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity.
Keeping this in mind, if we return to the 23% deficit of total generation, and imagine addressing the total demand by expanding natural gas generation facilities, the consumptive water use would be more than 5 million cubic meters; water that may need to come from the Bow River Basin. To help put things into perspective, 5 million cubic meters of water is enough to meet nearly two thirds of the municipal water demand in Okotoks, which currently has a population of around 24,000 [6].
Expanding natural gas generation facilities leads to inherent trade-offs of water used for cooling. For example, natural gas cooling consumes around 0.43 cubic meters of water per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity produced [7].
Other alternatives to meet the electricity demand of the Bow River Basin’s growing population may exist, however the key challenge for decision-makers lies in finding the most environmentally, economically, and socially beneficial energy alternative that considers the converging water uses in the basin.
Click here (1.05 MB) to read Behind the Scenes: Alberta Water Nexus Project Pilot’s Assumptions and Constraints.
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Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.
Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.
Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market. With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry.
Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector.
He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency.
Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field.
Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation. As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.