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ARTICLE · 26 OCTOBER 2020

Alberta Electric System Operator Announces New Energy Storage Procurement Opportunity

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
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On October 14, 2020, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) announced plans for an upcoming Fast Frequency Response (FFR) Technology Pilot project.

CanadaEnergy and Natural Resources
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Paula Olexiuk
Paula Olexiuk
Simon Baines
Simon Baines
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On October 14, 2020, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) announced plans for an upcoming Fast Frequency Response (FFR) Technology Pilot project.1 The FFR Pilot is currently in its initial design phase and is expected to be implemented in 2021. The announcement presents a unique opportunity for energy storage assets in the province and comes as a welcome boost to energy storage proponents and related technology providers in Alberta, who currently face significant hurdles to develop projects.

This Update includes information about the opportunity, current challenges facing energy storage proponents and related considerations.

What is Fast Frequency Response?

FFR is a fast-acting transmission reliability service that ensures a sufficient amount of energy is injected to the grid to arrest frequency excursions, maintain frequency stability, and allow frequency recovery back to nominal following an imbalance between generation and load.2 The AESO is

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