Latest news with #AliHooshyar
CTV News
10 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
The race to make Canada's power grids more resilient – before it's too late
A giant fireball is seen as a wildfire rips through the forest 16 km south of Fort McMurray, Alberta on highway 63 on May 7, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward This is the second of a two-part report on the resiliency of Canada's power grids in the face of climate change and increasing extreme weather. Among the first to enter Jasper National Park after wildfires tore through it last year was a crew with Atco Electric trying to get the power back on. 'There was [...] debris everywhere,' said Amanda Mattern, vice president of the utility's electric operations. 'Assessing the damage after the Jasper wildfires was challenging and really emotional for our whole team.' ATCO Electric Jasper park ATCO Electric crew on site in the aftermath of the Jasper Wildfire in 2024. (Credit: ATCO Electric) Keeping electricity flowing in the face of extreme weather events like this one has become a central issue for many in Canada's electricity sector and experts in the field who are looking for solutions with innovation and urgency. Weathering the storm, hardening the grid with technology The Grid Modernization Centre at the University of Toronto was developed to do exactly that. It's equipped with high-powered technology to run real-time simulations of Canada's electrical energy systems. 'The problem is not necessarily a lack of sufficient action on the utility side,' said Ali Hooshyar, director of the centre. 'The problem is the magnitude of the challenge that the utilities are facing.' The centre's high-powered technology simulates scenarios where the grid could be under strain, such as in the case of a lightning strike on a transmission line during a storm. This real-time modelling exercise is used to test the performance of actual grid components before the worst-case scenarios occur. 'We need to make sure that the grid is modernized, the grid is made robust against potential severe weather conditions that could occur in the future,' he said. While the centre is a more recent effort to harden Canada's grids, for utilities like Nova Scotia Power, the threat of extreme weather isn't new. But it is getting worse. 'Right now, it would definitely be the biggest vulnerability [to the grid] with these weather patterns that we're seeing,' said Matt Drover, senior director of energy delivery. 'They're much more severe, much more intense, and they're definitely taking a toll.' Replacing old electricity poles with bigger, stronger ones to better withstand storms is one of Nova Scotia Power's solutions to making its critical grid infrastructure more resilient to the consequences of climate change. Smarter grids, new risks Building a 'smarter' grid that uses digital technology, sensors and software to communicate information also allows utilities to make supply and demand decisions faster and more efficiently. For example, Drover explained NS Power is installing smart devices across the province that can segment circuits, effectively localizing outages, so that when a tree does fall on a transmission line, fewer customers would be impacted. But implementing new technologies to make the grid smarter comes with risks. Recently, Nova Scotia Power was hit with a cybersecurity breach that gave thieves access to data belonging to 280,000 customers. The utility has not said how the breach occurred. 'When you make something smarter and you start to depend on sensors, communication technology and intelligent computing, you basically shift the vulnerability,' said Deepa Kundar, a managing director of the Grid Modernization Centre. Her research group is working to prevent and respond to this growing vulnerability. Energy sovereignty with an east-west grid While utilities and industry innovators work on technological solutions to strengthen Canada's grid, a recent surge in political will for nation-building projects may provide another avenue to increased reliability: a national east-west grid. Hydro workers Hydro workers perform maintenance on power lines in Renfrew County, Ont., on July 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick During the election, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to work with provinces to build an east-west grid to secure Canadian energy independence, as the country grapples with U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to Canadian sovereignty. Canada's power grid is made up of three primary systems: the Western grid, the Eastern grid, and the Quebec grid, which includes Atlantic Canada. While the provinces are responsible for generating their own electricity, these grids are structured in a north-south configuration to facilitate electricity imports and exports to the United States. In many cases, Canadian provinces transfer electricity more easily with the United States than with each other. But recent interest in energy sovereignty and proposed projects like a Yukon-B.C. interconnection that would, for the first time, connect the territory to the rest of North America, may see Canada shift towards a pan-Canadian grid that would encourage less reliance on the U.S. for energy transfers while strengthening the grid against severe weather threats. In its latest report from April, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) found Quebec and Nova Scotia will be particularly vulnerable to outages in extreme weather scenarios going forward, especially during cold snaps. Part of the industry watchdog's recommendation was to increase transfer capability to Quebec, importing additional energy from New Brunswick, Ontario, New York, and New England, while Nova Scotia could mitigate its power shortfall by adding transfer capability from New Brunswick. The NERC report identified adding 12 to 14 gigawatts of transfer capability between provinces could help grids stay resilient in extreme conditions. Diversifying the energy supply 'We're going to require an all-of-the-above approach,' to meet the challenge of extreme weather, said Francis Bradley, president and CEO of Electricity Canada, a national group representing the electricity sector. That includes new technologies, more interconnections between provinces, and diverse power generation options. 'We're going to need more wind, more solar, more hydro, more nuclear to be able to meet the challenges of the future,' he said. More than half of Canada's electricity comes from hydro generation, but drought conditions in recent years have decreased outputs. According to Statistics Canada, in 2024, hydroelectricity generation was down nearly five per cent from the previous year and 3.5 per cent lower than the five-year average going back to 2019. The West Pubnico Point Wind Farm The West Pubnico Point Wind Farm is seen in Lower West Pubnico, N.S. on Aug. 9, 2021. The operation includes 17 Vestas V-80 turbines which produce 30.6 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 9,000 homes. There are more than 300 commercial wind turbines generating electricity in the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan More supply options mean greater reliability and energy resiliency when extreme weather events strain the grid. For example, wind and solar plants are not affected by drought conditions, unlike hydro, and can help ensure a stable power supply. Empowering Canadians to support the grid There may also be a role for Canadians to play. Currently, in moments of high electricity demand, like during a heat wave or a cold snap, many operators urge consumers to reduce their use, in turn, lessening the load on the grid. For example, during Alberta's cold snap in January 2024, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) used a grid alert when the power system was under stress, asking consumers in the region to reduce their electricity use. Almost immediately after the alert was issued, AESO reported it saw a significant 200 MW drop in electricity demand. While that demand response involves consumers playing an important role in mitigating power shortfalls in a traditional grid system, new technologies, new infrastructure, and diversification can all be part of a future solution to keep the country powered on during difficult situations. 'You take electricity for granted until you don't have it,' Hooshyar explained. As climate change accelerates, Canada's grid systems will be tested, but adding diverse 'layers of reliability' now are critical to preventing catastrophic failure before it's too late. Rukshar Ali is a multi-platform journalist from Calgary and a recipient of the Sachedina - CTV News - Fellowship.
CTV News
a day ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Canada's power grid is not ready for extreme weather: experts
A worker walks past downed power lines and a pole caused by post-tropical storm Fiona in Dartmouth, N.S. on Sept. 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese This is part one of a two-part report on the resiliency of Canada's power grid in the face of climate change and increasing extreme weather. Downed power lines. Flooded substations. Fire-damaged poles. While Canada grapples with another intense wildfire season, there are new concerns about whether the country's electricity grids can keep the power on during more frequent and more severe weather events. 'The grid that we have today has not been designed for accommodating such extreme scenarios,' said Ali Hooshyar, the director of the Grid Modernization Centre at the University of Toronto. His centre runs tests using real-time grid simulators, and he says power grids are designed to accommodate the failure of only one component at a given moment. 'The problem with extreme weather conditions is that at a given time, all of a sudden, you may lose several components,' Hooshyar explained. With the challenge of severe weather growing and electricity demand reaching new heights, experts and industry insiders say that they're concerned about meeting Canada's energy needs before the demand outpaces the progress. What are the threats to the electric grid? A report in April from The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) found that most provinces are at risk of power shortfalls during extreme weather conditions. The independent industry watchdog has also projected over half of North America will be at risk for blackouts due to a surge in electricity demand and retiring fossil-fuel power plants in the next five to 10 years. 'We don't have the kind of margins we may have had in the past to be able to weather through unexpected highs in demand or lows in resource performance,' said Mark Olsen, manager of reliability assessments at NERC. Beauharnois generating station The Beauharnois generating station in Beauharnois, Que., on Jan. 27, 2025. The hydroelectric power station on the St. Lawrence river consists of 36 turbines that supply power to Quebec, Ontario and New York State. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Looking ahead to 2033, NERC's forecast shows Quebec and Nova Scotia will be particularly vulnerable to outages. Quebec could face up to a 10 gigawatt energy deficit due to projected demand growth, especially during extreme winter conditions. By comparison, 10 gigawatts is almost double the capacity of Hydro-Quebec's Robert‑Bourassa generating facility, the largest hydropower generation facility in North America, which generates half the electricity consumed in Quebec. Nova Scotia had instances of insufficient energy resources across all 12 years in the study. 'More shortfalls can occur during these extreme weather events,' said Olsen, 'and it poses a serious concern for reliability.' According to Electricity Canada, a national group representing the electricity sector, the 10 most significant extreme weather events in the country between 2013 and 2023 caused nearly 20 million customer electricity interruptions. Of those events, eight occurred in the second half of the 10-year period. Part of what makes Canada's power grids particularly vulnerable, Hooshyar explained, is how old its infrastructure is in some areas of the country, with parts dating back over a century. 'We were basically one of the pioneers, [but] because we were one of the pioneers, we are dealing with the challenges of aging infrastructure earlier than many other areas in the world.' What's at stake? The types of severe weather challenges are unique across Canada's vast landscape, but from heat waves to cold snaps and wildfires to storms, extreme conditions are reported nationwide and the consequences of those events can be catastrophic. The B.C. Coroners Service confirmed that there were 619 heat-related deaths in the devastating 2021 Western heat dome. Two years later, during the hottest summer on record, Statistics Canada data shows B.C. residents turned to air conditioning to beat the heat. In July of 2023, the province consumed nearly eight per cent more electricity than the July average from 2016 to 2022. Wind is the biggest problem in parts of Atlantic Canada. Nova Scotia Power reports that in the last five years, wind gusts over 80 km/h were up 33 per cent from the five years prior. Storm damage, Nova Scotia Firefighters look on as Nova Scotia Power workers remove scaffolding entangled in lines after the collapse of a structure under construction in Dartmouth, N.S. on Dec. 10, 2019. A major storm brought rain and winds gusting to 110 km/h along the Atlantic coast disrupting travel, closing some schools and leave thousands without power. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan The biggest causes of outages in the province are trees and branches damaging power lines during storms. Severe weather accounted for over 1,000 power outages across the province in 2024. Severe weather also comes with a hefty price tag. In May 2022, a powerful windstorm called a 'derecho' pummeled southern Ontario and Quebec, leaving eight people dead and hundreds of thousands of people without power. Many customers were still in the dark nearly two weeks after the storm. The event cost a total of $1 billion in insured damage, much of that affecting utilities like Hydro Ottawa which said derecho damage to its power grid cost $70 million. The challenge of increasing electricity demand While climate change-driven extreme weather is a growing problem for Canada's grids, the demand for electricity is climbing, too, adding more pressure on an already-vulnerable system. 'If the weather is going to continue in this way and continue to be challenging, we'll continue to look at how we adapt to it,' said Francis Bradley, president and CEO of Electricity Canada. 'But that will be against the backdrop of increasing demand for electricity.' Those added demands include the consequences of increased electrification such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, growing populations, and power-hungry data centres that power artificial intelligence cropping up across the continent. For example, IESO, which monitors and operates Ontario's power system, projects the province's electricity demand to grow 75 per cent by 2050, and Manitoba expects its energy demand could more than double in the next 20 years. 'I'm not concerned about tomorrow, but when I project ahead five or 10 years, yes, I am concerned about our ability to move fast enough, to be able to bring on the new technologies and bring on the new sources of clean energy that we're going to need because the demand is increasing,' Bradley said. 'There's an inevitability to this.' Rukshar Ali is a multi-platform journalist from Calgary and a recipient of the Sachedina - CTV News - Fellowship.
