New infrastructure and supply means less coal for Ontario

Ontario electricity supply expansion sees 2,700 MW from Bruce nuclear units, new wind farms, and an Ontario-Quebec intertie, improving grid reliability, reducing coal emissions, and enhancing imports and exports as demand trends evolve.

The latest 18-Month Outlook issued by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) highlights continued improvements to the reliability of the province's power system.

Nearly 2,700 megawatts (MW) of new and refurbished supply are scheduled to come into service over the next 18 months as Ontario's coal plants continue to reduce their output and emissions.

Ontario's electricity supply is growing with the anticipated return to service of two units at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station and the addition of two new wind farms across the province.

"New supply has improved the reliability of Ontario's power system significantly over the past few years," said Bruce Campbell, Vice President, Resource Integration, at the IESO, citing optimistic IESO reports that highlight these gains. "As an industry, we are also making significant strides in our collective efforts to reduce the environmental impact of our operations by integrating higher levels of renewable generation into the supply mix."

While electricity consumption and peak demand are down significantly this year, power remains plentiful and energy consumption is forecast to increase in 2010 as the economy improves and the manufacturing sector starts to recover.

A number of factors have contributed to the decline in 2009, including the recession, moderate weather, conservation and growth in embedded generation. Energy consumption is expected to decline by 5.5% in 2009 before showing a slight increase of 0.2% in 2010. Peak demand, on the other hand, is expected to decline throughout the forecast period, supporting adequate supply conditions ahead.

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