Alberta is no longer using coal to generate electricity
With the complete transition of the Genesee Generating Station southwest of Edmonton to natural gas, Alberta is done using coal to make power.
"This achievement marks a significant moment in history for this legacy, baseload facility that has delivered reliable and affordable power to Alberta for more than 30 years," Capital Power's Canada senior vice president Jason Comandante said in a Tuesday statement.
"Our investment in this facility will result in the most efficient natural gas combined cycle plant in Canada – a feat that significantly reduces emissions while delivering more megawatts of reliable, affordable and clean capacity for our province."
Two units at Genesee were the last coal assets in Alberta's electric system.
Electricity production in Alberta from coal fell from about 36 per cent in 2019 to six per cent in 2023.
As of 2021, Alberta was one of four provinces still generating power from coal and accounted for 51 per cent of coal-fuelled power generation in Canada.
In 2015, the New Democratic provincial government mandated coal's phasing out by 2030.
Now fully fueled by natural gas, Capital Power expects to see a reduction of 3.4 million tonnes of emissions at Genesee annually.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
opinion Tom Mulcair: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's train wreck of a final act
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader and political analyst Tom Mulcair puts a spotlight on the 'spectacular failure' of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's final act on the political stage.
B.C. mayor gets calls from across Canada about 'crazy' plan to recruit doctors
A British Columbia community's "out-of-the-box" plan to ease its family doctor shortage by hiring physicians as city employees is sparking interest from across Canada, says Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi.
'There’s no support': Domestic abuse survivor shares difficulties leaving her relationship
An Edmonton woman who tried to flee an abusive relationship ended up back where she started in part due to a lack of shelter space.
Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson dead at 65, reports say
Rickey Henderson, a Baseball Hall of Famer and Major League Baseball’s all-time stolen bases leader, is dead at 65, according to multiple reports.
Arizona third-grader saves choking friend
An Arizona third-grader is being recognized by his local fire department after saving a friend from choking.
Germans mourn the 5 killed and 200 injured in the apparent attack on a Christmas market
Germans on Saturday mourned the victims of an apparent attack in which authorities say a doctor drove into a busy outdoor Christmas market, killing five people, injuring 200 others and shaking the public’s sense of security at what would otherwise be a time of joy.
Blake Lively accuses 'It Ends With Us' director Justin Baldoni of harassment and smear campaign
Blake Lively has accused her 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the movie and a subsequent effort to “destroy' her reputation in a legal complaint.
Oysters distributed in B.C., Alberta, Ontario recalled for norovirus contamination
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall due to possible norovirus contamination of certain oysters distributed in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
New rules clarify when travellers are compensated for flight disruptions
The federal government is proposing new rules surrounding airlines' obligations to travellers whose flights are disrupted, even when delays or cancellations are caused by an "exceptional circumstance" outside of carriers' control.