Flexible Generation: Supporting a Clean Energy Future
At a time when finding solutions to lower emissions has never been more critical, energy use and need across the globe is surging at an unprecedented rate. Population growth, economic development, and technological advancements are driving the need for more reliable, affordable electricity, while climate change is simultaneously magnifying the urgency for clean energy and increasing demand on the grid through electrification.
These complex, urgent challenges require immediate solutions that power our energy needs today in parallel with investments in infrastructure and innovative technologies to shape a clean energy future for tomorrow. Finding the right balance between the two is turning the spotlight on flexible generation – but what does that mean?
Flexible generation is the ability of power-generating facilities to quickly adjust output based on grid demand. Simply put, it’s electricity when you need it, keeping the lights on when grid usage exceeds baseline capacity and can be ramped down when you don’t, lowering emissions and reducing unnecessary energy surplus that can’t be stored.
At Capital Power, our balanced approach to energy solutions includes reliable, dispatchable power sources like battery storage and natural gas, which provide crucial stability, ensuring a consistent power supply regardless of weather conditions or fluctuations in renewable output.
Capital Power’s Flexible Generation Advantage
Capital Power has a growing fleet of natural gas facilities strategically located to deliver reliable power to thriving demand centres, like our Harquahala facility in Arizona. We not only own these assets, but we’re experts in operating them and are committed to investing in their optimization. When coupled with storage, they become a key part of a decarbonized grid.
Setting a new standard for gas generation efficiency in Canada
We’re repowering our flagship Genesee Generating Station 1&2 to natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) generation units from coal-fired units. This transitioned Capital Power, and Alberta, off coal over five years ahead of government mandate.
The two repowered units will provide an additional 512 megawatts (MW) of net capacity totaling 1,332 MW.
Supporting grid reliability in Ontario
Capital Power is installing a battery energy storage system (BESS) at our York Energy Centre and Goreway Power Station, which will provide up to 120 MW and 50 MW of power storage, respectively, with electrical energy output for up to four hours.
BESS will be used to support grid reliability and will help meet increasing local and provincial electricity demands by providing critical backup generation support, thereby better enabling both a reliable supply of electricity and flexibility in support of intermittent renewable energy sources.
The Future of Flexible Generation
In addition to exploring clean energy solutions for our existing natural gas facilities, Capital Power is focused on the development and implementation of new and better solutions for the future of power and our environment, including:
Small Modular
Reactors (SMRs)
In early 2024, we announced an agreement with Ontario Power Generation to jointly assess the development and deployment of grid-scale SMRs to provide clean, reliable nuclear energy for Alberta. The 2-year feasibility assessment includes learning interests, priorities and concerns of communities and exploring ownership and operating structures for a potential fleet of grid-scale SMRs in Alberta.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen can be used as a fuel source to produce reliable, affordable and clean electricity.
As recipients of Ontario Energy’s Hydrogen Innovation Fund, we are exploring hydrogen blending at our Goreway, East Windsor, and York facilities, using various mixes of hydrogen (from 5% to 15%). At our Kingsbridge 1 facility, we are exploring the economic and technical feasibility of creating green hydrogen from wind and storing it underground in depleted gas reservoirs.
We’re excited to expand our fleet of flexible generation assets across North America – learn how we’re growing in the United States!
Learn more