Canadian Utilities Research Articles

Decision support for United States—Canada energy integration is impaired by fragmentary environmental and electricity system modeling capacity

Abstract The renewable energy transition is leading to increased electricity trade between the United States and Canada, with Canadian hydropower providing firm lower-carbon power and buffering variability of wind and solar generation in the U.S. However, long-term power purchase agreements and transborder transmission projects are controversial, with two of four proposed transmission lines between Quebec, Canada and the northeast U.S. cancelled since 2018. Here, we argue that controversies are exacerbated by a lack of open-source data and tools to understand tradeoffs of new hydropower generation and transmission infrastructure in comparison to alternatives. This gap includes impacts that incremental transmission and generation projects have on the economics of the entire system, for example, how new transmission projects affect exports to existing markets or incentivize new generation. We identify priority areas for data synthesis and model development, such as integrating linked hydropower and hydrologic interactions in energy system models and openly releasing (by utilities) or back-calculating (by researchers) hydropower generation and operational parameters. Publicly available environmental (e.g. streamflow, precipitation) and techno-economic (e.g. costs, reservoir size,) data can be used to parameterize freely usable and extensible models. Existing models have been calibrated with operational data from Canadian utilities that are not publicly available, limiting the range of scientific and commercial questions these tools have been used to answer and the range of parties that have been involved. Studies conducted using highly resolved, national-scale public data exist in other countries, notably, the United States, and demonstrate how greater transparency and extensibility can drive industry action. Improved data availability in Canada could facilitate approaches that (1) increase participation in decarbonization planning by a broader range of actors; (2) allow independent characterizations of environmental, health, and economic outcomes of interest to the public; and (3) identify decarbonization pathways consistent with community values.

Analysis of factors driving water main breaks across 13 Canadian utilities

Deterioration of water infrastructure is a global challenge that jeopardizes water system ability to deliver water safely. While various factors affect watermain failure, previous studies have focused on common pipe attributes or general protection strategies. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between pipe break characteristics and system properties. Comprehensive data from thirteen Canadian water systems (over 60,000 failures) are examined with correlation and chi-squared analyses. Joint and fitting failures are most likely for pipes aged 20 years or less, and universal joints are most associated with joint failure. Pipes in clay and sand soils are more likely to break due to improper bedding and differential settlement, respectively. Furthermore, in the summer, accidental breaks of asbestos cement pipes are more likely, as are failures of pipes with collar joints and coal tar lined pipes. By exploring these relationships, the paper provides insights into opportunities for reducing water main failure, through improved design, maintenance and rehabilitation.

Does What Happens in the ED Stay in the ED? The Effects of Emergency Department Physician Workload on Post-ED Care Use.

Emergency department (ED) crowding has been a pressing concern in healthcare systems in the U.S. and other developed countries. As such, many researchers have studied its effects on outcomes within the ED. In contrast, we study the effects of ED crowding on system performance outside the ED-specifically, on post-ED care utilization. Further, we explore the mediating effects of care intensity in the ED on post-ED care use. We utilize a dataset assembled from more than four years of microdata from a large U.S. hospital and exhaustive billing data in an integrated health system. By using count models and instrumental variable analyses to answer the proposed research questions, we find that there is an increasing concave relationship between ED physician workload and post-ED care use. When ED workload increases from its 5th percentile to the median, the number of post-discharge care events (i.e., medical services) for patients who are discharged home from the ED increases by 5% and it is stable afterwards. Further, we identify physician test-ordering behavior as a mechanism for this effect: when the physician is busier, she responds by ordering more tests for less severe patients. We document that this "extra" testing generates "extra" post-ED care utilization for these patients. This paper contributes new insights on how physician and patient behaviors under ED crowding impact a previously unstudied system performance measure: post-ED care utilization. Our findings suggest that prior studies estimating the cost of ED crowding underestimate the true effect, as they do not consider the "extra" post-ED care utilization.

Asset Management Best Practices: Keeping Ahead of the Curve

Key TakeawaysImpending legislation is driving Canadian utilities to take a proactive stance on their asset management plans.Seven Canadian utilities shared their strategies and best practices for evaluating, fixing, and managing pipeline assets.It's important for utilities to establish a comprehensive, forward‐thinking asset management framework that includes structured data collection and management.

Lead Service Lines: Management and Public Perception in 21 Utilities

Utility and homeowner surveys were completed in 2015 to document the number of lead service lines (LSLs) in Canadian utilities, share utilities’ knowledge, and formulate recommendations on LSL management. LSLs represented <1 to 22% of the service line connections in the distribution systems considered (average 23 LSLs/1,000 people). With the exception of two utilities, mostly partial LSL replacements (LSLRs) were conducted by the utilities surveyed; flushing procedures post‐LSLR varied. Considering both surveys, the following recommendations are suggested: improve LSL records by registering the materials on both the public and the private sides after LSLR; harmonize flushing procedures post‐LSLR; develop a collaborative approach between contractors and utility staff to increase awareness, maintain LSL records, and ensure post‐LSLR flushing; combine funding, increased awareness, and provision of contractors to homeowners with fixed costs to increase full LSLRs; and assess the possibility of mandatory LSL detection and full LSLR at the time of house resale.

Benchmarking Electro-Energetic Performance of Industrial Systems by using Novel Concept of Benchmarking Energy Factor (BEF)

The electro-energetic efficiencies of Industrial Systems and Processes (IS&P) are currently monitored by using different types of Energy Performance Indicators (EnPI). The EnPI represents a ratio between energy spent [kWh] per unit of product, area, volume, or other quantity directly related to production. The EnPI values are supposed to be collected in a centralized data system enabling benchmarking activity at national level. One of the major barriers for this process is related to the ethical and legal issues impeding disclosure of proprietary information. On the other hand, the tedious normalization process due mainly to volatile and un-reliable reference value is another major barrier for benchmarking process. As a result the accuracy of benchmarking IS&P represents always a challenge for governments and for corporations implementing ISO 50001. The use of unitless indicator i.e. Benchmark Energy Factor (BEF) overcomes the current barriers. The paper proposes a new concept of using Mathematical Model Benchmarking (MMB) and Benchmarking Energy Factor (BEF). The concept enables a new approach towards energy efficiency in industrial and commercial sector and help level the playing field for energy management. The use of Basics of engineering and the laws of physics indicate that only wasted energy, namely Energy at Risk (E@R) values can be controlled. The waste energy (E@R) variation is embedded in unitless Benchmarking Energy Factor (BEF). Proposed method makes possible to determine accurately the (E@R) under variable material and environmental conditions making possible to manage the energy losses and eliminating the tedious process of normalization. The benchmark rating is then solely based on how close the true energy consumption within an industrial process gets to the ideal state. Once E@R is known, it will be logical proceeding with benchmarking plants, industrial systems and commercial buildings assessing their capability of managing Energy at Risk by focusing on in-situ testing. The paper presents the basics of MMB and basic use of BEF applied to standards accompanied by the case studies inspired from real life (industrial refrigeration and mining industries). The MMB concept can be used by any IS&P owner enabling easy implementation of ISO 50001. The unitless BEF indicator enables a reliable and credible rating system model describing electro-energetic efficiency of any IS&P and can be used by Utilities (for their DSM programs), Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) or U.S. Department of Energy - Energy-Star Certification for Plants Program as an alternative to the existent benchmarking practice. Canadian Standard Association, Canadian Utilities and NRCAN is currently preparing Guideline Standards of benchmarking industrial and commercial systems and processes by using the novel BEF concept.

Using voltage sag measurements for advanced fault location and condition-based maintenance

The results of a condition-based maintenance system using a new fault location technique based on voltage dip measurements is discussed here. Hydro-Québec (HQ) named this system MILES for maintenance and investigation of LIneS. The technique used was presented in previous CIRED publications in 2007 and 2011 as the voltage drop-based fault location technique. So far, the MILES system has shown a very good potential for permanent and temporary-fault location on overhead radial distribution system and has been deployed on 40 feeders located mainly at HQ and also at two other Canadian utilities.

Impact of country-specific EQ-5D-3L tariffs on the economic value of systemic therapies used in the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Previous Canadian cost-effectiveness analyses in cancer based on the EQ-5D-3L (EuroQoL, Rotterdam, Netherlands) have commonly used U.K. or U.S. tariffs because the Canadian equivalent only just recently became available. The implications of using non-Canadian tariffs to inform decision-making are unclear. We aimed to reevaluate an earlier cost-effectiveness analysis of therapies for metastatic pancreatic cancer (originally performed using U.S. tariffs) with tariffs from Canada and various other countries to determine the impact of using non-country-specific tariffs. We used tariffs from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Spain to derive EQ-5D-3L utilities for the 10 health states in the pancreatic cancer model. Quality-adjusted life years (qalys) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (icers) were generated, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (psas) were performed. Canadian utilities are generally lower than the corresponding U.S. utilities and higher than those for the United Kingdom. Compared with the Canadian-valued scenarios, U.S. and U.K. estimates were statistically different for 3 and 9 scenarios respectively. Overall, 35% of the non-Canadian utilities (28 of 80) were significantly different, clinically, from the Canadian values. Canadian qalys were 6% lower than those for the United States and 6% higher than those for the United Kingdom. When comparing the qalys of each treatment with those of gemcitabine alone, the average percent change was +6.8% for a U.S. scenario and -7.5% for a U.K. scenario compared with a Canadian scenario. Consequently, Canadian icers were approximately 5.4% greater than those for the United States and 8.6% lower than those for the United Kingdom. Based on the psas and compared with the Canadian threshold value, the minimum willingness-to-pay threshold at which the combination chemotherapy regimen of gemcitabine-capecitabine is the most cost-effective is $5,239 less than in the United States and $11,986 more than in the United Kingdom. The use of non-country-specific tariffs leads to significant differences in the derived utilities, icers, and psa results. Past Canadian EQ-5D-3L-based cost-effectiveness analyses and related funding decisions might need to be re-visited using Canadian tariffs.

Determining Canadian water utility preparedness for the impacts of climate change

AbstractGeneral warming and extreme weather events associated with climate change are expected to negatively impact water utilities. Water utilities will need to adapt to continue providing safe drinking water and wastewater services. In 2012, the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) conducted a survey of 53 water utility officials to understand the expert perceptions of climate change risks and preparedness of Canadian utilities for current and future impacts. Results indicated that there is low awareness among water utility officials (30%) of thepossible impacts of climate change on water utilities, and more than half have not conducted climate change vulnerability assessments (65%) and do not have operational plans to address climate change impacts (56%). Officials from smaller utilities, which are considered to be more vulnerable to impacts, were of those less aware of these risks and reported taking fewer preparedness activities. Efforts to prepare water utilities for climate change impacts in Canada would benefit from education of utility officials about possible climate change risks, encouraging assessments of vulnerabilities, and increased training with new adaptation tools and resources.

International/Cross‐Border: Recent Canadian Regulatory Trends Positive for Financial Outlook

AbstractFor companies in the Canadian utilities sector, the regulatory framework is typically the primary driver of business risk, which ultimately affects financial performance (Exhibit 1).

Optimizing the Energy Delivery via V2G Systems Based on Stochastic Inventory Theory

In this paper, we study the optimal energy delivery problem from viewpoints of both the vehicle owner and aggregator, in load shaving services of a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system. We formulate the optimization problem based on a general plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) model, taking into account the randomness in vehicle mobility, time-of-use electricity pricing, and realistic battery modeling. Stochastic inventory theory is applied to analyze the problem. We mathematically prove that a state-dependent <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$(S,S^{\prime})$</tex> </formula> policy is optimal for the daily energy cost minimization of each vehicle, and develop an estimation algorithm to calculate the parameters of the optimal policy for practical applications. Furthermore, we investigate the multi-vehicle aggregator design problem by considering the power system constraints. A policy adjustment scheme is proposed to adjust the values of <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$S$</tex></formula> and <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$S^{\prime}$</tex></formula> with respect to the optimal policy adopted by each PHEV, such that the aggregated recharging and discharging power constraints of the power system can be satisfied, while minimizing the incremental cost (or revenue loss) of PHEV owners. Based on characteristics of the state-dependent <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$(S,S^{\prime})$</tex></formula> policy and our proposed policy adjustment scheme, the optimal aggregator operation problem is transformed into a convex optimization one which can be readily solved by existing algorithms. The performance of our proposed schemes is evaluated via simulations based on real data collected from Canadian utilities, households, and commuters.

Cost of equity for Canadian and U.S. sectors

A two-stage CAPM approach is used to generate cost-of-equity estimates and sources of their uncertainty for 10 GICS sectors in Canada and the U.S. under the assumption of relatively integrated North American economies and equity markets. The estimated cost of equity for the Canadian sectors is, on average, about the same as that of the U.S. sectors, but with a higher estimation error. The estimation error of the market risk premium is the most important uncertainty component for the equity cost estimates, except for Canadian Utilities where beta uncertainty is the most important component. Beta and interaction effects play a relatively more important role in Canada due to relatively more volatile sector betas in Canada. Our study suggests that: (1) Canadian cost of equity should be estimated in an integrated market rather than a segmented market and (2) higher importance should be given to estimating the dynamics of betas for the Canadian sectors.

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

AbstractGas Utilities (MIC: 7.4 SIC: 4925 NAIC: 221210)Canadian Utilities Limited is a Canada‐based holding company. Co.'s principal operating subsidiaries are engaged in regulated natural gas and electric energy operations, primarily in Alberta, and in related non‐regulated operations. Co. operates in four business segments: The Utilities Business Group, The Power Generation Business Group, The Global Enterprises Business Group, and The Corporate and Other segment. Co.'s wholly‐owned operating subsidiaries include CU Inc., ATCO Power Ltd., ATCO Midstream Ltd., ATCO I‐Tek Inc., ATCO Frontec Corp., ASHCOR Technologies Ltd., and ATCO Utility Services Ltd.

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

AbstractElectricity (MIC: 7.1 SIC: 4939 NAIC: 221121)Canadian Utilities is a holding company. Co.'s operating subsidiaries are engaged in regulated natural gas and electric energy operations, mainly in Alberta, and in related non‐regulated operations. The Utilities segment includes the regulated distribution of natural gas, the regulated distribution and transmission of electric energy, the regulated transportation of natural gas, and the regulated transmission of distribution of water. Power Generation includes the non‐regulated supply of electricity and cogeneration steam, and the regulated supply of electricity. Global Enterprises includes the non‐regulated gathering, processing, storage, purchase and sale of natural gas and other services.

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

AbstractElectricity (MIC: 7.1 SIC: 4939 NAIC: 221121)Canadian Utilities is a holding company. Co.'s operating subsidiaries are engaged in regulated natural gas and electric energy operations, mainly in Alberta, and in related non‐regulated operations. The Utilities segment includes the regulated distribution of natural gas, the regulated distribution and transmission of electric energy, the regulated transportation of natural gas, and the regulated transmission of distribution of water. Power Generation includes the non‐regulated supply of electricity and cogeneration steam, and the regulated supply of electricity. Global Enterprises includes the non‐regulated gathering, processing, storage, purchase and sale of natural gas and other services.

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

Mergent's Dividend AchieversVolume 3, Issue 2 p. 329-329 Canadian Company Reports Canadian Utilities Ltd.† First published: 20 April 2006 https://doi.org/10.1002/div.4135 † Contact: : R. D. Southern C.B.E — Chmn. Address: : 1600, 909 - 11th Avenue S.W., Calgary Web Site: : www.canadian-utilities.com AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Electricity (MIC: 7.1 SIC: 4939 NAIC: 221121) Canadian Utilities is a holding company. Co.'s operating subsidiaries are engaged in regulated natural gas and electric energy operations, mainly in Alberta, and in related non-regulated operations. The Utilities segment includes the regulated distribution of natural gas, the regulated distribution and transmission of electric energy, the regulated transportation of natural gas, and the regulated transmission of distribution of water. Power Generation includes the non-regulated supply of electricity and cogeneration steam, and the regulated supply of electricity. Global Enterprises includes the non-regulated gathering, processing, storage, purchase and sale of natural gas and other services. Volume3, Issue2Spring 2006Pages 329-329 RelatedInformation

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

Mergent's Dividend AchieversVolume 3, Issue 4 p. 327-327 Canadian Company Reports Canadian Utilities Ltd.† First published: 10 October 2006 https://doi.org/10.1002/div.4968 † Contact: : R. D. Southern C.B.E — Chmn. Address: : 1600, 909 - 11th Avenue S.W., Calgary, T2R 1N6 Web Site: : www.canadian-utilities.com AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Electricity (MIC: 7.1 SIC: 4939 NAIC: 221121) Canadian Utilities is a holding company. Co.'s operating subsidiaries are engaged in regulated natural gas and electric energy operations, mainly in Alberta, and in related non-regulated operations. The Utilities segment includes the regulated distribution of natural gas, the regulated distribution and transmission of electric energy, the regulated transportation of natural gas, and the regulated transmission of distribution of water. Power Generation includes the non-regulated supply of electricity and cogeneration steam, and the regulated supply of electricity. Global Enterprises includes the non-regulated gathering, processing, storage, purchase and sale of natural gas and other services. Volume3, Issue4Autumn (Fall) 2006Pages 327-327 RelatedInformation

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

AbstractElectricity (MIC: 7.1 SIC: 4939 NAIC: 221121)Canadian Utilities is a holding company. Co.'s operating subsidiaries are engaged in regulated natural gas and electric energy operations, mainly in Alberta, and in related non‐regulated operations. The Utilities segment includes the regulated distribution of natural gas, the regulated distribution and transmission of electric energy, the regulated transportation of natural gas, and the regulated transmission of distribution of water. Power Generation includes the non‐regulated supply of electricity and cogeneration steam, and the regulated supply of electricity. Global Enterprises includes the non‐regulated gathering, processing, storage, purchase and sale of natural gas and other services.

Canadian Utilities Ltd.

AbstractElectricity (MIC: 7.1 SIC: 939 NAIC: 21121)Canadian Utilities is a holding company. Co.'s operating subsidiaries are engaged in regulated natural gas and electric energy operations, mainly in Alberta, and in related non‐regulated operations. The Utilities segment includes the regulated distribution of natural gas, the regulated distribution and transmission of electric energy, the regulated transportation of natural gas, and the regulated transmission of distribution of water. Power Generation includes the non‐regulated supply of electricity and cogeneration steam, and the regulated supply of electricity. Global Enterprises includes the non‐regulated gathering, processing, storage, purchase and sale of natural gas and other services.