In Alberta, customers can choose to buy electricity from a Regulated Retailer whose rates are set
on a government formula or a competitive Community Energy Marketer.
For consumers who have not chosen to sign an agreement with the competitive supplier, the
Rate of Last Resort (RoLR) is available as a default supply option. This rate is calculated on
100% month-ahead projected pricing.
Competitive retailers are licensed by Service Alberta and will often purchase electricity for their
customers through a combination of long-term or short-term agreements with the generation companies.
They can also buy electricity directly from the wholesale spot market based on the published hourly
price. This allows consumers to get as close as possible to wholesale prices, which are often well below
other competitive retail or RoLR prices.
