Alberta’s electricity market is getting a refresh, driven by surging power demand and a need to modernize the decades-old system.

The changes — which won’t take effect until mid-2027 — aim to enhance the grid’s reliability while maintaining affordable prices for consumers, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) said.

However, despite cost savings until 2030, prices are predicted to climb anywhere from eight to 30 per cent by 2045, according to analysis by some of the operators’ consultants.

“The eight per cent increase we should think of as a floor, that’s probably the minimum amount electricity prices would go up because of these market changes,” said Jason Wang, a senior analyst with the Pembina Institute, a clean energy think-tank.

Still, those projections operate under the ass

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