Alberta

What if our Cities only Needed a Fraction of their Parking Spaces?

Posted on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 - 22:07 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC

Finding parking when and where you need it can be both time consuming and stress inducing. In pre-pandemic days at least, there never seemed to be enough parking.

Alberta can lead the Transition to a Net-Zero Canada – While Re-Energising its Economy

Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - 05:19 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Jessica Lof, MSc

The movement to a net-zero emission energy system in Canada and around the world offers Alberta the new economic opportunity that it has been searching for, concludes the latest report ¹ from CESAR and the Transition Accelerator.

Zero-emission Transportation Fuels: Alberta’s New Economic Opportunity

Posted on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - 06:38 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Jessica Lof, MSc

Three-quarters of the refined petroleum products from Alberta-produced oil ends up as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. In fact, Alberta’s oil provides ten times more transportation fuel to North American markets than that consumed within the province. Clearly, the province of Alberta is in the transportation fuel business.

Exploring visions for Alberta’s low-carbon economy

Posted on Monday, November 26, 2018 - 05:03 by Mark Lowey, BA

The Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) Initiative and the Fuse Collective student group at the University of Calgary presented a free public event, “Alberta in 2050: Visions for a Low-carbon Economy,” on September 25, 2018. The panel presentation, moderated by CESAR director David Layzell, was held on UCalgary campus and attracted more than 200 people.

Students showcase “Scenarios for Alberta’s Energy Future” to energy-environment community

Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - 06:03 by Mark Lowey, BA

Energy systems are under intense pressure to change. Society wants major reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while retaining the benefits that energy systems provide to our quality of life. Understanding the technologies and policies needed to achieve these objectives can benefit from technology-rich, scenario modelling of energy futures. CESAR has been developing and using the database resources, modelling approaches and visualization tools to explore various energy futures. We are excited about the value of this work to policy and investment decision making.

CESAR researchers have also been involved in training a new generation of scientists and engineers in energy systems analysis and modelling. In the fall of 2016, 50 students registered in Scie529, the capstone course for the energy specialization at the University of Calgary. They worked in interdisciplinary teams to explore 10 different energy futures. Their work culminated in a poster session in downtown Calgary that attracted more than 120 industry, government and environmental NGO representatives. Mark Lowey from EnviroLine, who is a communications advisor to CESAR, was there and wrote about the special event. I asked him to share that report with us in this CESAR blog.

Four ways to reduce Alberta’s GHG emissions from homes

Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 - 07:10 by Mark Lowey, BA

Improving energy efficiency in Alberta’s residential housing sector could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4 million tonnes annually compared to a business as usual (BAU) scenario – or over 122 million tonnes by 2060, reports a group of University of Calgary engineering students working with David Layzell, professor and director of the Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) initiative at the University of Calgary.

Impacts of a low-oil price future on Alberta’s energy systems

Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 - 07:56 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Bastiaan Straatman, PhD, Mark Lowey, BA

For many years, governments in Canada and Alberta have predicted a prosperous future based on sustained pricing of about $US90 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil. Such a price had been predicted to drive oil sands production to more than 5 million barrels per day by 2040, from the current level of approximately 2.3 million b/d. As a result, Alberta’s population was estimated to rise to about 6.2 million people (currently 4.1 million) by 2040 and deliver a provincial GDP of more than $380 billion per year (currently approximately $215 billion/yr).

Such high oil sands growth (HOSG) projections do not seem realistic in 2016, with WTI prices now under $US35 per barrel and Canadian bitumen discounted by at least $15 per barrel on that price – with no respite in sight. Clearly, a low oil sands growth (LOSG) projection may provide a better window on the future, especially when these projections are needed to inform economic and environmental policies, including those guiding the transformation of our energy systems to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and meet climate change commitments.

It’s time to put an end to Alberta’s energy waste

Posted on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - 07:52 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Manfred Klein, BEng

On August 14, 2015, the new government in Alberta released its “Climate Leadership Discussion Document” as part of their plan to 'take more of a leadership role' in addressing climate change. CESAR researchers have been exploring cost-effective strategies to transform Alberta’s energy systems to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions so over the next few months, we will post on CESARnet.ca, the results of some of our analyses.

Today’s blog is a reprint of an Op-Ed piece we published in the Globe and Mail on 22 August, 2015. It describes the integration of oil sands operations and low carbon electricity generation in the province. We see it as an important, 'Made-in Alberta' opportunity for major GHG emission reductions. Future blogs will provide more details on the assumptions and calculations behind this Op-Ed.

Dividing the Big Picture: Visualizing Provincial Diversity

Posted on Monday, May 5, 2014 - 10:56 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC

We all know that Canadian provinces differ greatly in their capacity to produce energy. Less well known is how Canadians from across the nation differ in their demand for energy services.