After experiencing three significant power outages in 2026, the City of Cold Lake is asking ATCO Electric to explore ways to improve the reliability of the community’s electrical grid and reduce the risk of future widespread outages.

At its most recent regular meeting, Cold Lake City Council approved sending a letter to ATCO Electric requesting discussions on strengthening the City’s connection to the provincial power grid, including options for additional system redundancy.

Mayor Bob Mattice said repeated outages have raised concerns among residents, businesses and council alike.

“We are asking that ATCO takes a serious look at reinforcing the grid and providing some redundancies in the system so the City’s connection to the grid is less tenuous than it seems to be at present,” Mattice said. “We are concerned at the frequency with which we have had a significant number of households and businesses left without power.”

According to the City, major power outages affecting Cold Lake occurred on May 31, 2023, Sept. 13, 2024, Jan. 23, 2026, April 22, 2026, and July 3, 2026.

The most recent outage on July 3 occurred during the Cold Lake Air Show weekend, temporarily disrupting businesses and community events before power was restored.

In its letter, the City is requesting discussions with ATCO Electric regarding the overall reliability of the primary power feed serving Cold Lake. Council is also asking the utility to consider a redundant power supply for the Cold Lake Energy Centre, which serves as the City’s primary emergency reception and response facility during major incidents.

The City is further requesting that ATCO analyze the causes of the recent outages and identify opportunities to improve the long-term resilience of the local electrical system.

Mattice emphasized that the City’s request is intended to strengthen an already positive working relationship with the utility provider.

“ATCO Electric and their staff have always been great partners, and we look forward to working with them on this important issue,” he said. “A reliable, stable connection to the grid is important not only for our local economy, but it is also crucial for public safety.”

While the City is seeking additional discussions, no timeline has been announced for ATCO Electric’s review or any potential infrastructure upgrades.