IESO says 1,550 megawatts of new electricity will supply Ontario’s grid
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
The Independent Electricity System Operator's latest 18-month outlook for Ontario's power systems says new sources of renewable power coming online and declining demand bode well for the province's power needs
TORONTO—The Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) latest outlook for Ontario’s power system says the province has enough power to meet the expected demand for electricity over the coming summer months.
The latest 18-Month Outlook report covers the period from July 2017 to December 2018.
About 1,550 megawatts (MW) of new supply—500 MW of wind, 1,000 MW of natural gas, 50 MW of hydroelectric—is expected to be connected to the province’s transmission grid over the Outlook period.
Wind generation connected to local distribution networks over the same period is expected to exceed 600 MW, and distribution-connected solar generation will surpass 2,200 MW, which IESO says continues the growth of distributed energy resources across Ontario.
“We expect another positive outlook for Ontario as the trend of declining peak demand continues,” said Leonard Kula, IESO’s vice-president, Market and System Operations and chief operating officer.
Kula continued, “The decline in peaks is due to conservation savings, increased generation output on local distribution networks and the Industrial Conservation Initiative, which more than offsets underlying growth.”
The Industrial Conservation Initiative is a provincial program aimed at reducing electricity consumption for large producers by having participants shift consumption to off-peak hours.
The report also says annual demand for electricity in Ontario is expected to decline slightly.
