Post: Minister releases plan to secure Ontario’s energy future

Minister releases plan to secure Ontario’s energy future

Ontario’s minister of energy Todd Smith has released the Powering Ontario’s Growth plan in efforts to meet increasing demand for electricity.

Published on July 13, the plan sets out the actions the government intends to take to secure Ontario’s energy future, and progress towards zero-emissions, while balancing the need for short- and long-term electrification through managing the continued operation of the Pickering nuclear power station and building 4,000MW of new generation and storage.

The plans notes that Ontario’s electricity system is one of the cleanest and most reliable in the world, with about 90% of Ontario’s electricity coming from non-emitting sources. But it highlights that the power system is a key tool in helping other sectors of the economy reduce emissions through electrification. To meet increasing demand as other sectors new generating resources will need to come online to provide the key services the grid needs, like capacity and energy.

Ontario’s Independent Electricity System recommended the planning start early to meet demand they predict will require the province to be able to generate 88,000MW in 20 years. “That means all of our current supply […] would need to double to meet the anticipated demand by 2050,” Todd said. “While we may not need to start building today, government and those in the energy sector need to start planning immediately, so we have new clean, zero emissions projects ready to go when we need them.”

The strategy also includes two nuclear projects previously announced – a new, large-scale nuclear plant at Bruce Power on the shore of Lake Huron and three new small modular reactors at the site of the Darlington nuclear plant east of Toronto.