File photo of downtown Lethbridge. The Alberta Electric System Operator has issued a grid alert due to high energy use. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

update: alert ended

Grid alert issued, Albertans asked to conserve energy

Jan 13, 2024 | 6:02 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – UPDATE: The grid alert has ended. The province is thanking Albertans for doing their part to conserve energy.

Original Story:

Alberta’s electrical utility systems are nearing capacity.

The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) issued a grid alert for the province on Saturday, January 13, 2023.

“The AESO issues a Grid Alert when the power system is under stress and we’re preparing to use emergency reserves to meet demand and maintain system reliability,” the AESO explained. “Consumers are asked to reduce their electricity use during Grid Alerts to help mitigate the possibility of undertaking more serious emergency measures to balance the system, including rotating power outages.”

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The extreme cold weather has led to Albertans using an increased amount of electricity to stay warm.

This is the second time in recent days that a grid alert has been issued. The first was on Thursday.

As of 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, the organization states the internal load on the power grid was 11,525 megawatts.

The peak hours for electricity use are generally between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Some ways you can reduce your energy usage include:

• Turn off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances
• Minimize the use of air conditioning/space heaters
• Delay the use of major power-consuming appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers until after peak hours
• Use cold water for washing clothes—most of the energy used goes to heating the water (only running full loads helps too)
• Delay charging electric vehicles and/or plugging in block heaters
• Cook with your microwave, crockpot or toaster oven instead of the stove
• Limit the use of kitchen or bathroom ventilation fans
• Use motion-detector lights in storage areas, garages, and outdoors when possible
• Work on a laptop instead of a desktop computer (laptops are more energy-efficient than desktop units)

More details on grid alerts can be found on the AESO website.

The entire province remains under an extreme cold warning from Environment Canada. The weather agency said 38 communities set new cold weather records on Friday.

READ MORE: Extreme cold warning issued for all of Alberta

READ MORE: Cold weather records set in 38 Alberta communities Friday

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