Despite the fact that Alberta produces more than three-quarters of the natural gas generated in Canada, there are relatively few natural gas companies offering competitive retail services to customers in the province. A few of the largest Alberta natural gas suppliers are described below.
AltaGas, formerly Alberta and Southern Gas Company, is headquartered in Calgary and is a distributor of natural gas produced by six extraction plants in Canada that they own fully or in part. It mainly acts as a distributor to very large commercial and industrial interests, as well as to energy production companies and energy retailers. It has continued to expand its business holdings in recent years, with perhaps its largest acquisition being Pacific Northern Gas for $230 million in 2011. It has also expanded into green renewable energy production, with three hydroelectric plants currently under construction in British Columbia and three wind farms plants in construction or currently in operation, located in British Columbia, Colorado and California.
Direct Energy Business Services is a natural gas company founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1986, but now operating out of its new headquarters in Houston, Texas. With more than 6 million customers across North America, Direct Energy is well versed in providing natural gas services to large and small industries and businesses in a variety of markets. Direct Energy currently owns 5,000 natural gas wells in Alberta, and has also invested in various sources of green energy, including solar power and five wind farms in Texas. In the last few years it has made a number of major acquisitions to broaden their customer base and available services, including Enbridge Home Services, Energy America, and the retail operations divisions of ATCO Gas and Electric.
ENMAX Energy is headquartered in and wholly owned by the City of Calgary. The electric and natural gas company provides services to a wide variety of customers, from small residences to extremely large businesses and industrial companies that consume more than 350 megawatt-hours of energy per year. Originally founded as The City of Calgary Electric System, the company has been operating in Calgary for nearly 110 years, and in the past decade has returned a half billion dollars to the city, and has invested an additional half billion in the area’s energy infrastructure.
Hudson Energy, headquartered in Suffern, NY and now owned by Just Energy, is an electric and natural gas company servicing clients in both Canada and the United States. The company specializes in providing energy services to medium-sized and large industrial companies and businesses, including clients in construction, manufacturing, automotive and entertainment. Hudson Energy also offers green energy options to supplement or completely serve the energy needs of its customers.
Just Energy has two main offices, one in Mississauga, Ontario, and the other in Houston, Texas. Just Energy has been offering natural gas and electricity services in Alberta since 2005, and specializes in the energy needs of small and mid-size businesses. It provides electricity and natural gas to larger clients through its subsidiary company, Hudson Energy. With annual sales of $3 billion as of 2012, it does business under its own name and Hudson Energy, as well as additional companies, including Amigo Energy and Commerce Energy.
Superior Energy, located in Calgary, Aberta, is a natural gas company that specializes in servicing industrial operations and large businesses. Their clients currently include businesses in such markets as manufacturing, education, real estate, tourism, and restaurants. It currently offers natural gas in four provinces of Canada, and until 2014 served customers in the United States, when the company’s American operations were sold off.
TransAlta, located in Calgary, Alberta, is one of the largest investor-owned electric and natural gas companies in Canada. TransAlta specializes in providing natural gas, electricity, and green energy solutions to large businesses that consume more than 2,500 gigajoules of natural gas or 250 megawatt-hours of electricity per year. It serves customers involved in industrial operations, manufacturing, retail, and energy production. Owned by the City of Calgary and founded as the Calgary Power Company, TransAlta has been in operation for more than a century, having celebrated its centennial in 2011.
