Power developers turning more to battery storage strategies

By Collin Gallant on April 15, 2025.

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Power developers are switching focus to battery storage proposals on the Alberta grid as new wind and solar plants are largely on hold until after the provincial transmission and market undergo a regulatory overhaul.

Those are due to be implemented in 2027, though the number of storage projects in the province is rising this year.

Last week Northland Power said its longstanding plan to build a large battery storage facility in Cypress County will move ahead this year, two years before a co-located “Jurassic” solar power farm would be commissioned near Dinosaur Provincial Park.

At 80 megawatts, it would be the biggest in Alberta and boost exiting storage-only capacity on the Alberta grid by 40 per cent, while proposals for storage combined with plans to instal wind- or solar-generating plants are also up steeply.

Michele Chislett, Northland’s executive vice-president, tells the News that storage batteries can meet a market need since advancing new generating facilities is largely on hold while the larger power market settles.

“We see batteries for any jurisdiction that needs firming up of renewables,” said Chislett, whose Canadian-based global utility company operates in four provinces, though Jurassic is the first of three large “solar plus storage” or “solar+” projects to move ahead in Alberta.

“There is intermittency with renewables, and batteries can come in and stabilize that. Alberta is one example. At Northland, we develop the broad range of projects: gas wind, solar. But batteries in particular for us are a big focus.”

Renewable power production in Alberta has increased 150 per cent over five years, according to the Alberta Electric System Operator, helping to drive down prices as coal-to-gas plant conversions return to operations.

But that has also increased congestion problems on transmission lines at times when production is high.

The province and regulators are now developing a new “cost causation” model to charge generators more for line upgrades, but for years has advertised “non-wire” solutions – such as battery storage and greater use within regions – as a way to delay or avoid line construction.

The basic idea is that could better meter the flow of power onto lines when space is available, or essentially shift or lengthen the time when renewable power kicks in.

Combined production-storage facilities would hold back own production, while standalone batteries take energy off the grid when prices are low (typically when general supply is high), and put it on at high-priced periods when supply is otherwise limited, likely at a higher price.

“Everyone identifies with ‘buy low, sell high,’ but there are more benefits of batteries for grid operators,” said Chislett. “It alleviates the need to build new transmission, which can take quite a bit of time. These can be deployed quite quickly and help with grid congestion in a quick manner.”

Batteries in the southeast

The battery facility near Jenner is expected to cost C$100 million when complete in 2026, while the 220-megawatt solar field has a commissioning date in 2028.

It is one of three large Solar+ projects Northlands acquired in 2022 from Greengate Renewables, including Midnight Solar near Medicine Hat, and Luna Solar near Brooks.

There are currently 41 battery-only proposals in Alberta, including 20 proposals for storage facilities in southern Alberta outside Calgary.

Another 43 projects would combine solar and storage, including 11 in the south, also with two proposed wind-plus storage sites.

The largest battery operator in the province is Enfinite, with nine 20-megawatt units across the province, mostly in central and northern Alberta.

Several years ago it proposed building a 500-megawatt facility at Bowmanton, a locale northeast of Medicine Hat, but that has been reduced to 100 megawatts in recent company literature.

It is also moving ahead with the 100-megawatt Laramide Battery project near High River.

Two years ago, Chappice Lake Solar farm northeast of the Hat became the first battery-connected facility in the southeast region when Elemental Energy added a relatively small 8 MW battery to the 15 MW solar field facility.

Currently, Irrican power, owned jointly by the St. Mary’s Irrigation District, is installing a 15 MW battery complex at its Raymond hydropower facility, and AECO natural gas hub operating partnership led by Rockpoint Energy has also applied to build power storage sites.

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