Capital Power is an independent power generation company based in
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, Canada. Capital Power develops, acquires, owns and operates power generation facilities using a variety of energy sources. Capital Power owns approximately 6,600 megawatts of power generation capacity at 27 facilities across North America.
History
The company history dates back to
Edmonton Electric Lighting and Power Company
EPCOR Utilities Inc., formerly known as Edmonton Power Corporation, is a utility company based in Edmonton, Alberta. EPCOR manages water, wastewater, natural gas, and electricity distribution systems in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British ...
formed in 1891. Previously named Edmonton Power, then EPCOR Generation (a division of EPCOR Utilities), Capital Power was created through issuance of a 25% IPO by EPCOR Utilities in 2009 and has assets in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and the United States.
The decision to split EPCOR Utilities into two separate companies (one publicly owned by the sole shareholder,
City of Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...
) was made at a special meeting of Edmonton City Council held on April 17, 2009.
The creation of Capital Power and the transfer of assets from the City of Edmonton-owned utility EPCOR resulted in debate by local citizens group "Our Power".
As of its initial public offering in 2009, Capital Power L.P. held a 49% voting interest and 100% economic interest in CPI Investments Inc., a holding company owning approximately 29.6% of the limited partnership units of
Capital Power Income L.P.(CPILP), and 100% of the shares of the general partner of CPILP. CPILP held ownership interests in 21 power generation assets in Canada and the United States.
On November 7, 2011,
Atlantic Power Corporation
Atlantic Power Corporation headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,364 at the 2020 census. It is located on Boston's southwest b ...
acquired Capital Power Income L.P (CPILP). As part of the arrangement, Capital Power acquired CPILP's Roxboro and Southport plants in North Carolina.
The
Clover Bar Landfill Gas facility was commissioned in 2005. The facility utilizes landfill gas from the City of Edmonton’s Waste Management Centre. Output from the facility is sold to the City of
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
.
Capital Power developed and operates the Clover Bar Energy Centre, which features three highly-efficient natural gas turbines.
On October 19, 2010, Capital Power acquired the
Island Generation Facility, a 275 megawatt (MW), gas-fired combined cycle power plant at Campbell River, British Columbia, from Kelson Canada Inc. closed on.
On September 1, 2011, Capital Power and
TransAlta
TransAlta Corporation (formerly Calgary Power Company, Ltd.) is an electricity power generator and wholesale marketing company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is a privately owned corporation and its shares are traded publicly. It o ...
completed the 495 MW (gross) Keephills 3 generating facility, and announced the commencement of commercial operation at the facility. Capital Power led construction of the facility, and TransAlta, which will operate the plant. The facility is the most technologically advanced coal-fired plant in Canada.
On October 12, 2012,
Innergex Renewable Energy
Innergex Renewable Energy () is a developer, owner and operator of run-of-river hydroelectric facilities, wind energy, and solar farms in North America, France and South America. While many of the firm's operational assets are located in its home ...
Inc. acquired Capital Power's Brown Lake, B.C., and Miller Creek, B.C. hydro facilities.
Capital Power’s 142 MW Quality Wind project, located in British Columbia, began commercial operation on November 6, 2012. Construction of the project was complete on time and under budget.
On November 19, 2013,
Emera
Emera Incorporated is a publicly traded Canadian multinational energy holding company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Created in 1998 during the privatization of Nova Scotia Power, a provincial Crown corporation, Emera now invests in regulated ele ...
Inc. acquired Capital Power's facilities in Connecticut: Bridgeport, Rhode Island: Tiverton, and Maine: Rumford, including certain emissions credits. These facilities were subsequently sold by Emera to the
Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group is a multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services corporation based in the United States with $376 billion of assets under management. It specializes in private equity, real assets, and pri ...
.
On December 6, 2012, Capital Power and
ENMAX Corporation announced the signing of a joint venture agreement to build, own and operate the 800 MW
Shepard Energy Centre
The Shepard Energy Centre is a combined cycle power plant located on the east side of Calgary, Alberta. Powered by two gas turbine generators, with two Heat recovery steam generator, HRSGs capturing the waste heat from the exhaust-gases and pro ...
in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
.
On March 3, 2017, Capital Power and ENMAX Corporation announced that the Shepard Energy Centre was chosen as the test site for the natural gas track of the $20 million
NRG COSIA
The Cosia is a torrent whose springs are on the slopes of Monte Bolletone () in Brianza, Italy. Its course takes it through the communities of Albese con Cassano, Tavernerio and Como, then it enters Lake Como near the war memorial designed by ...
Carbon XPRIZE, a global competition to develop breakthrough technologies that convert carbon dioxide (CO
2) into valuable products. Shepard Energy Centre will host the new Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre, as well as provide the flue gas for testing during the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE and for future innovators.
On February 21, 2017, Capital Power entered into an agreement to acquire the thermal power business of
Veresen
Veresen Inc. was a Calgary, Alberta-based energy infrastructure company with three main lines of business: pipelines, natural gas and power generation. It was a publicly-traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and was known as Fort Chicago ...
Inc., consisting of two gas-fired generation facilities and two waste heat assets.
Capital Power’s
Bloom Wind project, located in Kansas began commercial operation on June 1, 2017.
Facilities
Alberta
*Clover Bar Energy Centre - Edmonton, AB
*Clover Bar Landfill Gas Plant - Edmonton, AB
*Enchant Solar facility - Taber, AB
*
Genesee Generating Station - Warburg, AB
*Halkirk Wind - Halkirk, AB
*Joffre Cogeneration - Red Deer, AB
*Shepard Energy Centre - Calgary, AB
British Columbia
*150 Mile House Waste Heat - 150 Mile House, BC
*
Island Generating
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
- Campbell River, BC
*Quality Wind - Tumbler Ridge, BC
*Savona Waste heat - Savona, BC
Ontario
*East Windsor Cogeneration Centre - Windsor, ON
*
Kingsbridge Wind
Kingsbridge is a market town and tourist hub in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of 6,116 at the 2011 census. Two electoral wards bear the name of ''Kingsbridge'' (East & North). Their combined population at the abo ...
- Goderich, ON
*Port Dover and Nanticoke Wind Project - Counties of Haldimand & Norfolk, ON
*York Energy Centre - Newmarket, ON
United States
*Decatur Energy Center – Decatur, Alabama
*Arlington Valley – Phoenix, AZ
*Bloom Wind – Counties of Ford & Clark, Kansas
*Macho Springs Wind - New Mexico
*Roxboro Power Plant - Roxboro, North Carolina
*Southport Power Plant - Southport, North Carolina
*Beaufort Solar – Chocowinty, North Carolina
*New Frontier Wind – McHenry County, North Dakota
Economic interests in facilities
Capital Power has economic interests in the following facilities, which are operated by other entities:
*Joffre - Red Deer, AB
*Keephills 3 - Wabamun, AB
Projects in development or construction
Genesee 4 & 5
Capital Power is planning to develop the new natural gas-powered Genesee 4 & 5 generating station (formerly Capital Power Energy Centre) in Warburg, Alberta. On December 5, 2013, Capital Power entered into a joint-venture agreement with
ENMAX Corporation to develop, construct, own and operate the project, which was renamed to Genesee 4 & 5.
Renewable assets in Canada
In December 2017, the Whitla Wind project (Medicine Hat, AB) was awarded a 20-year contract by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) in the first round of its Renewable Electricity Program (REP). The wind plant is expected to start commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2019.
As of February 2019, Capital Power has the following renewables projects in consultation or planning:
* Halkirk 2 Wind – Halkirk, AB
Renewable assets in the United States
In November 2014, Capital Power acquired 10 wind development sites and four solar sites in the United States through the acquisition of Element Power US, LLC.
0
As of February 2019, Capital Power has the following renewables projects in consultation or planning:
* Sun Valley Solar – Maricopa County, Arizona
* Hopeful Solar – Mitchell County, Georgia
* Newton Solar – Baker County, Georgia
* Cardinal Point – Counties of McDonough and Warren, Illinois
* Willow Creek Wind – Counties of Cerro Gordo and Hancock, Iowa
* Salt Springs Wind – Counties of Ford and Hodgeman, Kansas
* Green Hills Wind – Sullivan County, Missouri
* Garrison Butte Wind – Mercer County, North Dakota
* Black Fork Wind – Counties of Crawford and Richland, Ohio
* Nolin Hills Wind – Umatilla County, Oregon
* Poplars Ranch Solar – Lake County, Oregon
* Tisch Mills Wind – Counties of Manitowac and Kewaunee, Wisconsin
See also
*
EPCOR Utilities Incorporated
EPCOR Utilities Inc., formerly known as Edmonton Power Corporation, is a utility company based in Edmonton, Alberta. EPCOR manages water, wastewater, natural gas, and electricity distribution systems in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British ...
References
External links
Capital Power Corporation website
{{Edmonton Corporations
Electric power companies of Canada
Energy in Alberta
Companies based in Edmonton
Companies formerly owned by municipalities of Canada
Energy companies established in 1970
Non-renewable resource companies established in 1970
Renewable resource companies established in 1970
1970 establishments in Alberta
Companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Canadian companies established in 1970