Alberta Regulation 59/2026 under the Electric Utilities Act introduces amendments to the Transmission Regulation to strengthen requirements on the Independent System Operator regarding procurement and maintenance of ancillary services and to update transmission planning references. The regulation replaces provisions in AR 86/2007 and adjusts operational expectations for import capability on key interties as well as introducing refund provisions for certain cancelled system access requests and updating terminology in the schedule.

One change revises section 16(6) governing procurement of ancillary services by the ISO. The revised rule requires the ISO to make all reasonable efforts to procure sufficient ancillary services to support import flows at or near 800 megawatts as soon as practicable. Once the Alberta British Columbia intertie is restored to specified capability the target rises to 950 megawatts and ultimately to 1200 megawatts when full restoration under subsection one is achieved. A new subsection requires ongoing maintenance of these service levels at all times except during abnormal operating conditions reinforcing reliability obligations and ensuring system stability under higher import scenarios.

Updates to section 16.2 concerning the Montana Alberta Tie Line. It replaces prior language and requires the ISO to procure ancillary services sufficient to support import flows at or near 300 megawatts as soon as practicable, maintaining that level at all times except during abnormal operating conditions. It also introduces public reporting obligations requiring the ISO to publish milestone reports on available transfer capability restoration. These reports must be issued quarterly throughout 2026 and annually beginning in 2027 until restoration is complete, increasing transparency around intertie performance and system recovery progress.

A further provision adds a refund mechanism for generating unit owners and energy storage resource owners who cancelled system access requests between January 1 2025 and December 1 2025. Eligible owners may receive payments equal to amounts previously paid under section 29, subject to exclusions for amounts forfeited under ISO tariff conditions. This measure ensures partial financial relief while preserving tariff enforcement integrity and clarifies the treatment of cancellation related contributions.

Finally the schedule is amended by replacing Path 3 with Path 83 in Table 3 reflecting updated transmission planning nomenclature and alignment with revised system mapping standards used by the ISO for network configuration and reporting consistency across Alberta transmission documentation.

Overall the regulation is designed to improve transmission reliability, increase intertie capacity utilization, and improve transparency in system operations. By mandating progressive increases in import support levels tied to infrastructure restoration milestones, it aligns ancillary service procurement with evolving cross border capabilities. The reporting requirements for the Montana Alberta Tie Line introduce a structured disclosure regime that allows stakeholders to track restoration progress over time.

Alberta (59/2026) April 15, 2026
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and does not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.