Photo courtesy Powering Ontario's Growth/Ministry of Energy
The Ontario government has revealed its plan to meet the province’s future electricity demand.
The Powering Ontario’s Growth plan includes developing zero-emissions electricity generation, storage and new transmission lines.
“Taken together, all of the initiatives that are detailed in this plan, Powering Ontario’s Growth, provide the province with a range of options to meet future demand. It’ll also maintain our diverse supply mix, positioning Ontario perfectly to support electrification and energy affordability while competing for international investments, which are looking for jurisdictions that provide access to clean, reliable electricity,” says Energy Minister Todd Smith.
The plan reacts to a report by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) that Ontario’s demand for electricity will double by 2050.
It also recommended the province start planning early.
Smith says he has already instructed the IESO to start planning for the next procurement of clean energy projects.
“That includes solar, hydroelectric, and wind leveraging our government’s historic clean energy storage procurement, which will allow intermittent resources like wind or solar, which are completely reliant on weather, to integrate into our grid like they never have before. This procurement would launch after our current procurement of clean energy storage is complete in 2025 and 2026,” says Smith.
Smith adds as with previous projects, proponents must have willing host communities.
The plan also looks to Ontario Power Generation to optimize hydroelectric generation at its current sites, and the IESO studying how to increase the electricity flow between northern and southern Ontario.
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