Alberta Electric System Operator

rdf:langString Alberta Electric System Operator

rdf:langString Alberta Electric System Operator

rdf:langString Alberta Electric System Operator

rdf:langString Electricity

rdf:langString Michael Law - President & CEO

rdf:langString Canada

rdf:langString Aeso logo.gif

rdf:langString The Alberta Electric System Operator, (AESO), is a not-for-profit entity responsible for the planning and operation of the Alberta Interconnected Electric System (AIES) in a "safe, reliable, and economical" manner. It is mandated by provincial legislation to act in the public interest and cannot own any transmission, distribution or generation assets. The key duties and responsibilities of the AESO are dictated by the Province of Alberta's Electric Utilities Act (EUA) and the Transmission Regulation (T-Reg) and include, without limitation, the following: * Determine the future requirements of the AIES, develop transmission plans over near-term, medium-term and long-term planning horizons that identify transmission system enhancements needed to meet those requirements, and make arrangements to implement those enhancements as necessary. * Prepare and maintain a transmission system that anticipates, for at least 20 years forward, system conditions and requirements. The system must be planned to accommodate future growth, which requires the AESO to take a long-term view while adjusting for short-term changes and focusing on system requirements that meet the long-term vision for electrical infrastructure. * Ensure the safe, reliable and economic operation of the AIES. * Operate the power pool and facilitate the electricity market in a manner that is fair, efficient and openly competitive. * Provide transmission access service consistent with an approved transmission tariff. * Manage and recover the costs associated with line losses and ancillary services. * Conduct a fair and open competitive process to determine the successful proponent who will develop, design, build, finance, own, operate, and maintain identified major transmission infrastructure in Alberta. The AESO operates a market for the exchange of electric energy in Alberta and attempts to uphold the principles of market fairness, openness, and efficiency. To this end the AESO "contracts with transmission facility owners to provide generators access to the electric grid." One of AESO's responsibilities is to manage system load in the case where shortfalls in supply or excessive demand for electricity threaten the integrity of the power grid. In this case AESO can direct power companies to shed load temporarily through measures such as rolling blackouts. In July 2012, six power generators were shut down during a major heat wave that resulted in high demand on the power grid, Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Lethbridge were hit by rolling blackouts. AESO directed utilities to reduce their customer load. AESO's Doug Simpson explained that this had not happened since 2006. According to their homepage, AESO operates "independently of any industry affiliations and owns no transmission or market assets."