Alberta Energy Watch is our Friday companion to the Monday Alberta Energy Market Report: Monday is prices, Friday is the context behind them. Three stories from this week that touch an Alberta household or small business, in our own words, with the original sources linked at the bottom.
Verified against the original reports, releases and filings on October 2, 2026.
1. The AER forecasts Alberta’s wholesale gas price rising through 2035
On September 29, the Alberta Energy Regulator published its 2026 Alberta Energy Outlook (ST98), its annual ten-year look at the province’s energy supply and prices. It reports that the Alberta wholesale gas benchmark, AECO-C, averaged $1.74 per gigajoule in 2025, up from $1.45 in 2024, helped by strong fuel demand from the oil sands and the start of LNG Canada’s exports. The AER forecasts AECO-C at $2.73/GJ for 2026 and $3.22/GJ for 2027, then a slow climb to $3.99/GJ by 2035. It also notes that Alberta gas still trades at a wider-than-usual discount to the U.S. benchmark because of rising supply and full storage.
What it means for you: a forecast is not a price, and the AER says itself that weather, market access and other factors move these numbers. AECO-C is also only the commodity piece of a gas bill; delivery and fixed charges sit on top and do not follow it. If your gas contract is coming up, compare any fixed offer against what variable gas has actually averaged, and check the term and any exit fee before you sign. Our guide to how Alberta natural gas rates work walks through each line.
2. Northland brings an 80 MW battery online in southeast Alberta
Northland Power announced on September 29 that its Jurassic battery energy storage system in Cypress County, in southeast Alberta, has reached commercial operation. The facility can deliver 80 MW for two hours (160 MWh), and Northland describes it as the largest battery storage facility operating in Alberta. The company says it was finished ahead of schedule and under budget, and that a 15-year agreement covers all of its capacity.
What it means for you: a two-hour battery charges when power is plentiful and cheap, often on windy or sunny afternoons, and sends it back to the grid when demand peaks. More storage on the system adds flexibility for tight hours, such as cold evenings when demand is high and the wind is calm. One battery will not change your bill on its own, but it is part of how the grid absorbs more wind and solar.
3. Edmonton opens feedback on a proposed data-centre district, as the province’s interim grid room fills up
The City of Edmonton is taking public feedback from September 28 to October 25 on an application filed by Stantec on behalf of Walton Global Investments. It would change the Edmonton Energy and Technology Park plan in the city’s northeast to allow data centres and associated power generation in its Medium Industrial area, and move 253 hectares from the Petrochemical area into the Medium Industrial area. The feedback goes to City Council in a “What We Heard” report, and Council decides after a public hearing. For context, the province says the 1,200 MW of interim room the AESO set aside for large new loads is now fully allocated, while companies have asked to connect roughly 19,565 MW of new data-centre load (AESO connection list, July 30, 2026).
What it means for you: a zoning change is not a grid connection. The AESO decides who connects and when, and its permanent rules for large loads are still being finalised, with projects that bring their own generation going to the front of the line. For household prices, the question to keep asking of any data-centre proposal is the same one we raised last week: how much new generation comes with it, and how much grid power it draws before that generation is running.
On the calendar: the AESO’s first stakeholder session on revised Restructured Energy Market rules is October 6, with written feedback due October 16. Nothing changes on bills from either date.
Sources
- Alberta Energy Regulator — Announcement, September 29, 2026 (2026 Alberta Energy Outlook released): aer.ca
- Alberta Energy Regulator — ST98: Alberta Energy Outlook 2026 report and prices data (Table S1.2): aer.ca
- Northland Power — “Northland Power Brings Alberta’s Largest Battery Storage Facility Online Ahead of Schedule and Under Budget,” September 29, 2026: northlandpower.com
- Northland Power — Jurassic BESS project page (location): northlandpower.com
- City of Edmonton — LDA26-0225 Edmonton Energy & Technology Park AI Data Centre Amendment: engaged.edmonton.ca
- Government of Alberta — AI Data Centres in Alberta: Grid: alberta.ca
- AESO Engage — Phase 2A: Large Load Integration, BYOG Process: aesoengage.aeso.ca
- AESO Engage — Restructured Energy Market (REM) ISO Rules: aesoengage.aeso.ca
All figures verified against the sources above, October 2, 2026. Price figures in story 1 are the AER’s forecasts, not ours. Capacity and schedule claims in story 2 are Northland’s.
Get Energy is a competitive retailer in Alberta, a tradename of Utility Network & Partners Inc. Alberta has no residential time-of-use pricing. Nothing here is advice about your own contract.
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