Edmonton Natural Gas and Electricity Retailers
Residents of Edmonton have their choice of just about every energy retailer operating in Alberta. The largest and most well known of these energy companies are:
- AltaGas
- ATCO Power
- ATCOenergy
- Direct Energy
- ENMAX Energy
- Hudson Energy
- Just Energy
- Superior Energy
- TransAlta
In addition, there are roughly two dozen smaller energy companies operating in the area, and this list is always growing. The regulated retailer of electricity in Edmonton is Direct Energy Regulated Services, which sells electricity at the RRO rate. EPCOR Energy Alberta is the city’s regulated retailer of natural gas.
Try our energy rate comparison form above to learn about the natural gas retailers in your area, and what rates and plans they currently have to offer.
History of Electricity and Natural Gas in Edmonton
The City of Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, and is the second-largest city in the province, with a population of nearly 888,000 within its metro area. Established in 1892, Edmonton actually predates the existence of the province. It became the capital of Alberta when the province was formed in 1905 — its population of 8,500 residents at the time comprised a tiny fraction of the total provincial population of 185,000.
Despite Edmonton’s initial small size, the city figured largely in the history of Canadian energy production. The Edmonton Electric Lighting and Power Company was created in 1891. The City of Edmonton acquired the company in 1902, reforming it as a municipal utility, Edmonton Power. Now known as EPCOR, it is one of the largest electricity and natural gas companies in Canada.
The city’s development was delayed compared to other Albertan towns founded near gas and oil reserves, mainly because Alberta reserved all rights to the natural resources of the area when the province was created. The city wasn’t allowed to touch the natural gas and oil reserves that surrounded it boundaries. The provincial government didn’t release its ownership of the area’s mineral rights until 1930.
The city’s growth took off with the oil boom of 1947, thanks to the discovery of oil near Leduc, 35 kilometers away. The city’s fortunes grew steadily until oil prices declined in the 1980s. However, increased interest in the development of the Athabasca oil sands has led to an influx of people and capital.
Edmonton, the one-time “Oil Capital of Canada” has worked to stay competitive in an increasingly fraught natural gas and oil market. Companies in the city have spent decades developing technology for processing various petroleum reserves, with investments in the field second only to competitors in Saudi Arabia. At present, major oil- and natural gas-related projects in Edmonton are valued at $34.4 billion, comprising 59.5 percent of the city’s current economic development.
