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Blackstart Service NW Alberta Procurement

Key Dates & Materials

Oct. 23 - Nov. 22, 2024 | Stakeholder feedback period for Draft Blackstart Agreement

Oct. 23, 2024 | Stakeholder Update

The AESO has released a Draft Blackstart Agreement (Draft BSA), including revised technical requirements in anticipation of a Request for Proposals (RFP) in early December for Blackstart Services in northwest Alberta.

Interested parties can submit a Draft BSA Feedback Form to blackstart@aeso.ca on or before November 22, 2024. See form for additional instructions.

Note: providing this feedback is not a pre-requisite to participate in the RFP.


Purpose

The AESO is considering a Blackstart (reliability) Service in the northwest (NW) area of Alberta and is preparing to conduct preliminary market sounding to inform any subsequent procurement process. Any interested party who has an asset, or is expected to have an asset, that could potentially provide Blackstart Services by 2025-2026 in the AESO's NW Planning Region, per the boundary identified in the map below, should review the AESO Blackstart Procurement for Northwest Planning Region: Draft Requirements, which detail the blackstart capabilities the AESO is seeking.


Minimum Requirements*

To provide Blackstart Service in the NW region, assets must:

  • be located in the NW area of Alberta (see map below)
  • have the ability to self-start the unit without the need for an electrical supply from the grid
  • have the ability to close onto a de-energized bus
  • be able to energize at least one cranking path, and have sufficient capability to start up at least one transmission-connected generator in the area; this is confirmed by performing engineering studies.

*To view a comprehensive overview of requirements for Blackstart Service, refer to AESO Blackstart for NW Planning Region Procurement Draft Requirements_v3.

Per the AESO NW Planning Region Transmission Map below, and subject to further engineering studies by the AESO, a blackstart resource is likely to be effective if it is located in one of the following planning areas:

  • 17 Rainbow Lake
  • 18 High Level
  • 19 Peace River
  • 20 Grande Prairie
  • 21 High Prairie
  • 22 Grande Cache
  • 23 Valley View
  • British Columbia


Key Dates & Materials

Oct. 23 - Nov. 22, 2024 | Stakeholder feedback period for Draft Blackstart Agreement

Oct. 23, 2024 | Stakeholder Update

The AESO has released a Draft Blackstart Agreement (Draft BSA), including revised technical requirements in anticipation of a Request for Proposals (RFP) in early December for Blackstart Services in northwest Alberta.

Interested parties can submit a Draft BSA Feedback Form to blackstart@aeso.ca on or before November 22, 2024. See form for additional instructions.

Note: providing this feedback is not a pre-requisite to participate in the RFP.


Purpose

The AESO is considering a Blackstart (reliability) Service in the northwest (NW) area of Alberta and is preparing to conduct preliminary market sounding to inform any subsequent procurement process. Any interested party who has an asset, or is expected to have an asset, that could potentially provide Blackstart Services by 2025-2026 in the AESO's NW Planning Region, per the boundary identified in the map below, should review the AESO Blackstart Procurement for Northwest Planning Region: Draft Requirements, which detail the blackstart capabilities the AESO is seeking.


Minimum Requirements*

To provide Blackstart Service in the NW region, assets must:

  • be located in the NW area of Alberta (see map below)
  • have the ability to self-start the unit without the need for an electrical supply from the grid
  • have the ability to close onto a de-energized bus
  • be able to energize at least one cranking path, and have sufficient capability to start up at least one transmission-connected generator in the area; this is confirmed by performing engineering studies.

*To view a comprehensive overview of requirements for Blackstart Service, refer to AESO Blackstart for NW Planning Region Procurement Draft Requirements_v3.

Per the AESO NW Planning Region Transmission Map below, and subject to further engineering studies by the AESO, a blackstart resource is likely to be effective if it is located in one of the following planning areas:

  • 17 Rainbow Lake
  • 18 High Level
  • 19 Peace River
  • 20 Grande Prairie
  • 21 High Prairie
  • 22 Grande Cache
  • 23 Valley View
  • British Columbia


  • Oct. 8, 2024 | Stakeholder Update

    The AESO would like to thank stakeholders who participated in the recent market sounding to inform the Blackstart product and procurement design. The strong level of interest has provided the AESO with the confidence to proceed with a Request for Proposals (RFP) and share an approximate timeline for the next steps.

    On October 23, 2024, the AESO will issue a draft Blackstart agreement, which will include updates to the minimum technical requirements and seek stakeholder feedback.

    Following a one-month feedback period for the agreement, the AESO expects to launch the RFP for Blackstart service. The AESO expects that the service term could commence on or before mid-2027.

    Activity

    Timeline

    Draft Blackstart Agreement feedback period

    October 22 - November 22, 2024

    Request for Proposals (RFP) stage commences

    December 2024

    Proposals submission deadline

    Late March - 2025

    Blackstart Service Term Commences

    Mid-2027

  • Identification of Prospective Blackstart Service Providers | Deadline: May 17, 2024

    CLOSED: This opportunity to express interest has concluded.

    Interested parties who may be capable of providing Blackstart Service by 2025-2026 are encouraged to send an email to the AESO at Blackstart@aeso.ca by May 17, 2024.

Page last updated: 05 Nov 2024, 10:45 AM