Ontario getting more from wind, but still relies on nuclear
TORONTO, ONTARIO - Ontario is getting more power from wind energy, but the province will continue to rely heavily on nuclear generation to keep the lights on, an official said.
Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator said wind-powered electricity generation doubled last year, and the province will get more power from wind in the year to come.
The overseer of Ontario's electricity market said more wind power is scheduled to come online this year to boost the province's supply.
But Ontario residents are still relying heavily on nuclear generation, with more than half of the province's supply coming from such facilities.
Some 18 percent of the province's electricity supply came from coal-fired generation, which was up slightly from 2006.
Although the province is pushing energy conservation, residents used slightly more electricity last year than they did in 2006.
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Ontario explores possibility of new, large scale nuclear plants
TORONTO - Ontario is exploring the possibility of building new, large-scale nuclear plants in order to meet increasing demand for electricity and phase out natural gas generation.
A report late last year by the Independent Electricity System Operator found that the province could fully eliminate natural gas from the electricity system by 2050, starting with a moratorium in 2027, but it will require about $400 billion in capital spending and more generation including new, large-scale nuclear plants.
Decarbonizing the grid, in addition to new nuclear, will require more conservation efforts, more renewable energy sources and more energy storage, the report concluded.
The IESO…
