Generators shut, blackout fears raised amid strike by Hydro One workers


Protective Relay Training - Basic

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
Striking Hydro One workers forced a major shutdown at the giant Nanticoke Generating Station recently, raising concerns about electricity supplies and prompting huge imports of power.

"It's not inconceivable they could be blacking out customers," warned Tom Adams of the watchdog group Energy Probe.

Dozens of pickets from the Society of Energy Professionals prevented enough essential staff from getting to their jobs that Nanticoke, owned by Ontario Power Generation, had to shut six of its eight coal-fired units by late afternoon.

That prompted officials to put out an alert asking people to reduce their power consumption June 26.

OPG was seeking an injunction last night to stop the kind of picketing that forced the shutdown, but a union spokesperson said picket lines were taken down as of 8 p.m.

The six units at the plant on Lake Erie provide a total of 3,000 megawatts of power — about 10 per cent of the province's electricity generating capacity recently.

The Independent Electricity System Operator, which manages the province's hydro needs, said the maximum amount of electricity that can be imported is about 4,000 megawatts; by late yesterday afternoon, the hourly imports were running at more than 2,300 megawatts, Canadian Press reports.

Energy Minister Dwight Duncan last night said the loss of six of the eight units "challenged the reliability of the system. It really stretched things."

Energy experts said the province's electricity supplies should be adequate this weekend, with few factories and offices operating, but that could all change.

The union is striking over demands from Hydro One, which runs the province's electricity transmission lines, for a two-tier wage scale.

Related News

US nuclear innovation act becomes law

NEIMA advances NRC regulatory modernization, creating a licensing framework for advanced reactors, improving uranium permitting,…
View more

Website Providing Electricity Purchase Options Offered Fewer Choices For Spanish-speakers

Texas PUC Spanish Power to Choose mandates bilingual parity in deregulated electricity markets, ensuring equal…
View more

Group of premiers band together to develop nuclear reactor technology

Small Modular Reactors in Canada are advancing through provincial collaboration, offering nuclear energy, clean power…
View more

Magnitude 5 quake strikes near Iran nuclear plant

Iran Bushehr Earthquake rattles southern province near the Bushehr nuclear power plant, USGS reports M5.1…
View more

CALIFORNIA: Why your electricity prices are soaring

California Electricity Prices are surging across PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E territories, driven by fixed grid…
View more

EV Sales Still Behind Gas Cars

U.S. EV and Hybrid Sales 2024 show slower adoption versus gas-powered cars, as charging infrastructure…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified