Alberta Storage Alliance launched by consortium of strategic electricity industry participants

Picture of hydro tower at sunset.

The Alberta Storage Alliance (ASA) has been launched by a consortium of private sector energy experts under the common goal of advancing the deployment of energy storage technologies across the province of Alberta. — Photo courtesy ENMAX

CALGARY, July 20, 2016 /CNW/ - The Alberta Storage Alliance (ASA) has been launched by a consortium of private sector energy experts under the common goal of advancing the deployment of energy storage technologies across the province of Alberta. The ASA's members include: BYD, Enercon, ENMAX, General Electric, NRStor, Opus One Solutions, RES, Rocky Mountain Power, S&C Electric, Temporal Power, and UniEnergy Technologies.

The ASA is recommending a joint strategy for Alberta to leverage innovative energy storage technologies within its electricity market. These recommendations are highlighted in the ASA's recently released white paper: Energy Storage: Unlocking the Value for Alberta's Grid.

PURPOSE OF THE ASA

The ASA believes energy storage can bring significant benefits to the Alberta Interconnected Electricity System. The ASA's role is to help energy market stakeholders, regulators and politicians better understand how to integrate energy storage and ensure the province takes full advantage of these technologies.

Speaking on behalf of the ASA, Annette Verschuren, NRStor Chair and CEO said, "We are truly excited to launch the ASA; a group with broad representation across the industry. We look forward to the opportunity to work with the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), Market Surveillance Administrator (MSA) and Alberta government to enhance the enormous opportunity for energy storage in Alberta. These innovative technologies will be essential to meet the province's renewable energy objectives and can greatly optimize our existing infrastructure."

OPPORTUNITY FOR ENERGY STORAGE IN ALBERTA

In November 2015, the Alberta government announced a new Climate Leadership Plan; central to the plan is transitioning the province's energy production away from coal and towards renewables. This decision is expected to have several impacts on the Alberta Interconnected Electricity System. Alberta will almost certainly require solutions in four key areas: renewables integration, managing price volatility, maintaining supply adequacy, and ensuring grid reliability.

Energy storage can play an important role in navigating this transition by providing proven solutions to each of these challenges. Energy storage technologies can balance the grid by storing excess electricity and reinjecting it at a more optimal time. The successful deployment of energy storage in electricity systems around the world has demonstrated its ability to swiftly react to system needs, making storage a compelling solution for Alberta.

ABOUT THE ASA

Learn more about the ASA and download the white paper through the ASA website.

Source: Alberta Storage Alliance

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