Pristine Power wins York Region contract

subscribe

The contract to build a $365 million natural gas-fired power plant in York Region has been awarded to Pristine Power Inc. and its partner York Energy Centre Inc., the province's power authority announced.

The controversial power plant, which is expected to create 150 jobs during construction and is scheduled to be in service by the end of 2011, will be used during periods when electricity demand in the region is high and to support intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar.

A joint venture called York Energy Centre LP will build the plant on Dufferin St. in the Township of King, and at 393 megawatts the facility will be slightly larger than the community expected – enough to power 50,000 homes.

"This simple-cycle, natural gas plant addresses the urgent need for clean, reliable and secure power in one of the fastest-growing regions in Ontario," said the Ontario Power Authority in a statement. "It will help Ontario close down coal-fired generation by 2014."

The province will purchase electricity from the plant through a 20-year power purchase contract with York Energy Centre, which was the winning bidder out of six proposals.

The Ontario Clean Air Alliance and some local groups opposed the plant, arguing that a much smaller facility could be built if more emphasis in the area was placed on conservation, energy efficiency and the deployment of renewable-energy projects.

Ongoing operation of the plant after construction will require seven full-time employees.

Related News

global coal output

Global use of coal-fired electricity set for biggest fall this year

LONDON - The world’s use of coal-fired electricity is on track for its biggest annual fall on record this year after more than four decades of near-uninterrupted growth that has stoked the global climate crisis.

Data shows that coal-fired electricity is expected to fall by 3% in 2019, or more than the combined coal generation in Germany, Spain and the UK last year and could help stall the world’s rising carbon emissions this year.

The steepest global slump on record is likely to emerge in 2019 as India’s reliance on coal power falls for the first time in at least three decades…

READ MORE

US Automakers Will Build 30,000 Electric Vehicle Chargers

READ MORE

Nova Scotia Power says it now generates 30 per cent of its power from renewables

READ MORE

wind power

Wind has become the ‘most-used’ source of renewable electricity generation in the US

READ MORE

working at home during locakdown

Electricity demand set to reduce if UK workforce self-isolates

READ MORE