Engineering excellence: How collaboration sparks innovation

At FortisAlberta, we believe innovation isn’t just about technology. It’s about people working together to create a stronger, smarter electricity grid. As more customers explore options like solar panels and battery storage systems, FortisAlberta continues to ensure our grid is ready to support these Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) safely and reliably.

Why it matters to you

The energy landscape is evolving and we’re leading the way to ensure that every new connection benefits our customers and the more than 240 Alberta communities we proudly serve.

• Technical readiness
  We’re setting the stage for a future where the integration of solar and battery technology work seamlessly with long-standing, established systems to further optimize energy use.

• Regulatory alignment
  We advocate for fair, transparent rules so everyone, the business, farm and residential customers to whom we deliver their electricity, can feel assured in knowing that they are receiving the best possible service through fair industry governance.

• Clear communication
  Transparency builds trust. That's why we keep customers informed every step of the way as we connect their services to the FortisAlberta system.

Key Highlights

• Updated safety standards
  With safety as FortisAlberta's north star, it guides our work every day. With that in mind, we're always exploring new ways of ensuring DER systems disconnect safely during outages, protecting workers, equipment and customers, while also minimizing and restoring disruptions as safely as possible when cleared for re-energization.

• Nine-phase DER connection plan
  We have developed a streamlined, step-by-step process for connecting DER projects. This process includes application to approval and we're here to support the application process every step of the way. 

• Industry collaboration
  Internally, FortisAlberta has been hosting webinars to both share and gather insights from industry partners who involved in the DER space. Our last webinar of 2025 brought together nearly 100 participants. Sharing of knowledge in this fast-moving part of our industry ensures that we remain at the forefront of the DER conversation. 

What’s Next

• As we move into 2026 and the next stages of these advancements, we are seeking feedback from webinar participants to further expand both our, and their roles in the DER space.

• We continue our outreach through community events and partnerships with educational institutions to share information with both educators and students helping to develop these technologies.

• Our commitment to customer service excellence means that we will continue to develop and gather as much information as we can about DER development in order to serve our customers and build relationships with Albertans who've begun exploring the DER space. 

Learn more:

Distributed Energy Resources