Data Centres Are Coming Onto Alberta’s Grid. Should You Lock Your Rate?

The short version: data centres are starting to connect to Alberta’s grid now, and the
load ramp accelerates from 2028. That raises the risk of expensive hours later this decade — it does
not guarantee higher prices. What it does mean is that locking a rate is unusually cheap today: a one-year
fixed rate of 6.57¢/kWh sits just below our variable 30-day average of 6.76¢/kWh.

Rates from the Get Energy live rate sheet, electricity calculated September 14, 2026. Wholesale data from AESO.
Load growth, interconnection timing and forward prices from Dynasty Power’s September 2026 market
update. Published September 18, 2026.

What is actually happening on the grid

Three things are moving at once, and they pull in different directions:

• Demand is growing steadily. Weather-corrected Alberta load is growing roughly 200 to
  300 MW a year before any data-centre effect.
• Data-centre connections start now. Grid connections begin in late 2026, build through
  2027 and 2028, and the ramp accelerates sharply from 2028, with limited matching merchant supply.
• The market itself is being rebuilt. The AESO’s Restructured Energy Market is in
  testing through 2027, with cutover planned for the second quarter of 2028. Scarcity pricing is part of the
  new design, which adds upside risk when the system is tight.

Meanwhile prices today are low. In the week to September 17, 2026 the pool price averaged
$37.22/MWh, and the 30-day average was $45.95/MWh. Forward prices for 2027 and 2028 are at the
lowest levels the market has recorded.

So should you lock?

Here is the honest framing. Locking a rate is not a bet that prices will rise. It is buying a known
number instead of an unknown one, and the price of doing that changes over time. Right now it is close to
free:

Who should lock, plainly

• Electric-heat homes. Your consumption peaks exactly when prices peak. A term is worth
  more to you than to a gas-heated neighbour.
• Fixed incomes and tight budgets. The value is the absence of a bad month, not the
  average saving.
• Small businesses. If you price your own work, a predictable input cost is worth real
  money.
• Anyone who does not want to watch the market. Perfectly reasonable.

And who should not: households with enough slack to absorb a rough January, and people who might move
soon. Over the last 13 months variable did beat fixed, at 5.91¢/kWh against 6.57¢/kWh.

What we will not tell you

We will not tell you that data centres mean your bill is going up, because we do not know that. New
generation and storage are being built in response to the same demand, and Alberta’s wind and solar
fleet keeps pushing midday and overnight hours toward zero. Anyone using a data-centre headline to rush you
into a three-year contract is selling, not advising.

What is true and checkable: forward prices are at record lows, our fixed rate reflects that, and the
gap between fixed and floating has almost closed. If you were ever going to buy certainty, this is a
cheaper moment than most.

How to decide in ten minutes

1. Pull last January’s bill. That is your worst month, not your average month.
2. Check what rate you are on now. If your energy rate is near 12¢/kWh with no term, you are on the
   default rate — start there, not with fixed versus variable.
3. Decide whether $4 a month of insurance is worth it to you. That is roughly the difference between the
   one-year fixed rate and the 13-month variable average on a 600 kWh home.
4. If you want a second opinion on your own numbers, send us your bill through
   Bill Check.

Weekly wholesale and retail movement is tracked in the
Alberta Energy Market Report, and the
product comparison lives on
fixed vs variable electricity
rates in Alberta.

Frequently asked questions

Will data centres raise Alberta electricity prices?

They add demand, and Alberta’s supply-demand balance tightens as they connect. Dynasty Power’s September 2026 update has connections beginning in late 2026 and the load ramp accelerating from 2028, with limited matching merchant supply. That raises the risk of expensive hours. It is not a guarantee of higher prices — new generation and storage are being built in response.

Is now a good time to lock in an Alberta electricity rate?

It is a cheap time to lock. As of September 14, 2026 a one-year fixed rate is 6.57¢/kWh, slightly below the 6.76¢/kWh variable 30-day average, because forward prices for 2027 and 2028 are at record lows. Whether it is right for you depends on whether you value a predictable bill more than the chance of a cheaper month.

How long should I lock in for?

One year at 6.57¢/kWh is the mildest commitment and covers the coming winter. Two years at 7.97¢/kWh carries you past the end of the current Rate of Last Resort period and through the planned 2028 market restructuring. Three years at 8.87¢/kWh costs meaningfully more and is a bigger bet. Most households choosing certainty pick one or two years.

Can I switch back if prices fall?

With Get Energy there is no cancellation fee, so you can move between rate types. A fixed term is a price commitment rather than a penalty trap here — but always check that with any retailer before signing, because exit fees of $100 to several hundred dollars are common in the market.

Sources

• Dynasty Power Inc. — Market Update, September 2026, circulated to Alberta retailers. Forward prices for 2027 and 2028, weather-corrected load growth, data-centre interconnection timing and Restructured Energy Market dates. Received September 18, 2026.
• AESO market and system reporting — hourly pool price for the week to September 17, 2026, retrieved September 18, 2026.
• AESO —
  Restructured Energy Market — transition and testing timeline.
• Utilities Consumer Advocate — default rates — Rate of Last Resort at 12.01 to 12.06¢/kWh to December 31, 2026.
• Get Energy live rate sheet — electricity calculated September 14, 2026, natural gas calculated September 7, 2026.

Get Energy is a competitive retailer offering electricity and natural gas services for residential, small business, and farm consumers across Alberta. Get Energy is a tradename of Utility Network & Partners Inc.