According to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), the move to electric vehicles (EVs) will add additional demand to the the province’s electricity grid.
As per their 2021 long-term outlook report, the AESO predicts that charging all of the province’s EVs could amount to 3900 MW. Put another way, EV charging may take the same amount of power it takes to power two cities the size of Calgary.
These high numbers come from a high prediction of 2,000,000 EVs on Alberta’s roads in 20 years.
However, the AESO notes that the grid can handle the demand. The move to energy-efficient appliances and cooling systems has led to an overall decrease in demand. The addition of EVs will offset this reduction in energy consumption.
“We suspect that the supply will be sufficient and will be reliably there to meet this increase in consumption due to electric vehicles,” Tovar said in an interview with CBC News.
Some, especially the oil and gas industry, will use this report to not make the switch to electric. However, EV drivers and the broader government note that the grid grows with demand.
Green energy sources and other alternative energy sources will help bolster the grid and ensure Albertans will have enough juice to power their vehicles for years to come.
