UPDATE: Ended (Province-wide emergency alert issued due to high power demand)

Update:

At of 8:40PM on Saturday, January 13th, the grid alert ended. Due to continuing cold temperatures, Albertans are being asked to reduce their usage during peak hours from 4PM to 7PM. 

Original Post: 

At 6:44 pm Saturday, January 13th, The Alberta Emergency Management Agency issued a critical civil Emergency.

Extreme cold resulting in high power demand has placed the Alberta grid at a high risk of rotating power outages this evening.

Minister of Affordability and Utilities Nathan Neudorf issued the following statement in response to an electrical grid alert from the Alberta Electrical Systems Operator:

"We are calling on all Albertans to reduce their electric demand immediately to essentials only. Extreme cold resulting in high power demand has put the province’s electricity grid at high risk of rotating outages tonight.

On top of high demand of our own energy generation, Alberta's grid receives electricity from neighbouring provinces. Extreme weather in Saskatchewan and British Columbia is impacting electricity sharing, which is also a contributing factor to tonight's grid alert. The Alberta Electric System Operator has activated its emergency grid management plan to work with local distribution utilities to avoid potential rolling brownouts.

Here are some easy ways to conserve electricity this evening and into the night:

• 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.

Albertans have a history of pulling together in times of emergency. If we all make small changes like those listed above, we can keep each other safe through another extremely cold evening."

For details on outages in your area click here.