The revenue function for power companies has a price component and a volume component – however, for evaluating operating performance, a net revenue figure is more relevant than the first top line item.įor volume, it is important to first consider the capacity of a generation asset. Environmentalist and anti-coal sentiment in Canada has distressed thermal coal stocks, although cheap coal from the Powder River Basin is still finding its way to developing markets with growing electrical grid demand. Coal was dominant in Alberta, but country-wide initiatives have seen coal being almost eliminated as a feedstock for the electrical grid. Ĭanada generates most of its power using hydroelectric dams. Major IPPs in Canada include Capital Power, TransAlta, Boralex, Algonquin, Innergex and Northland Power. Generation in Canada is conducted by independent power producers (IPPs) or integrated utilities – utilities involved in all parts of the electricity value chain, from generation to distribution. Major Canadian Power and Utilities Companies
At the regulated utility, the electrical current is stepped-down at another substation before being distributed to residences and commercial consumers of energy. Once electricity is generated, it leaves the power plant and is “stepped-up” at a substation (voltage is increased), allowing for fast travel through transmission lines before reaching its destination.
Improvements in energy storage have also contributed to the viability of the latter two as consistent electricity providers. Solar and wind are both economic without government subsidies in many jurisdictions. Technology has accelerated and solar is now the cheapest with photovoltaic (PV) panels costing a fraction of what they used to. In the past, only hydro was seen to be reliable and commercially effective (a river is always running, but the sun only comes up once a day and may be obscured by clouds while wind patterns are difficult to predict). Hydro, wind and solar are renewable generation methods. Coal is widely perceived to be a dirty fuel, while natural gas has carbon emissions, although at a much lower level. These three technologies use non-renewable resources as fuel – lignite or subbituminous coal, natural gas or uranium.
Lgee power utility generator#
This steam subsequently turns the turbine, whereby a generator transforms the mechanical energy into electrical energy. Other methods include the burning of biomass or harnessing geothermal hotspots (for example, volcanoes in Iceland).Ĭoal, gas and nuclear are thermal technologies, where coal/gas is burned or nuclear reactions heat water to generate high pressure steam.
The most prominent feedstocks for power generation include coal, gas, nuclear, hydro, wind and solar. This is done by converting different forms of energy into electrical energy, usually via mechanical energy by the way of spinning a turbine. The way that a power company creates its product is by turning its “fuel” into electricity.
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