This story is the first in a series, to share how ENMAX is preparing Calgary’s electricity system to keep pace with record growth and evolving customer needs. 

Calgary is experiencing an extraordinary period of growth. From new neighbourhoods breaking ground to more families moving into existing communities, we’re adding the equivalent of the population of Lethbridge  to our city every year. Behind every one of those new homes and businesses is electricity. It’s what keeps our city running and we’re proud to deliver that.

Supporting growth and industry

ENMAX plays a critical role in ensuring that large new developments are powered and Calgarians can move into their new homes. In fact, 2024 was our busiest year in more than 15 years, with over 21,000 new homes and businesses connected to the grid. And so far in 2025, we have energized over 18,000 new sites.

We also need to ensure any new developments in existing communities can connect safely to the grid with the power they need. We’ve seen a 28 per cent increase in development application approvals over previous years with nearly 3,300 permits coming in for review last year alone. Our teams are committed to getting these permits reviewed and approved as quickly as possible to increase the availability of housing in our growing city.

We recognize this unprecedented pace puts pressure on the development industry. As the lead of the Shallow Utilities Consortium, we’ve worked closely with our partners to create solutions that support the evolving needs of developers, builders and homeowners. For example, in 2023 we made it faster and easier to build new underground power connections in neighbourhoods. This helped us save time and finish early parts of projects sooner. We also introduced a program that gives developers the flexibility to use their own pre-qualified crews to complete duct work on shallow utility installations. These changes help projects move forward more smoothly, ensuring new homes and communities can get connected faster.

Investing  in Calgary’s future

Our job at ENMAX is to make sure the grid keeps up and that power stays safe, reliable and affordable for everyone. We have one of the highest reliability rates across Canada. According to Electricity Canada data, Calgarians experience, on average, 38 minutes of outage time per year compared to the average two and a half hours amongst other Electricity Canada members.

In addition to fulfilling our obligation to connect new sites, we know our customers value this reliability, that’s why we use advanced planning and forecasting to help us carefully make strategic investments in the grid. In 2024, we invested around $400 million to strengthen the electricity system. That meant renewing aging infrastructure, meeting the demands of a growing population and enabling the shift to a more electrified future through projects like underground cable replacement, pole replacement and larger capital investments like the replacement of Substation No. 1 which will power nearly half of Calgary’s downtown for decades to come.

Powering what’s next

Calgary’s future will be even more electric, and we’re planning ahead for what’s to come. We’re investing in technologies that give us a clearer view of what’s happening across the system so we can respond quickly and adapt to changing needs.

As our city grows and changes, we’re committed to supporting Calgary’s success. This includes investing in the right infrastructure at the right time, planning for the future, and finding new ways to meet customers’ needs.