CBC News
April 16, 2003

TORONTO – Ontario will set up dozens of portable industrial generators across the province to avoid power shortages this summer, Energy Minister John Baird said Tuesday.

The generators are part of a strategy to add hundreds of megawatts of power to the provincial grid during the summer months.

Last year, a heat wave sent hydro use soaring, prompting the government to warn that brownouts or rolling blackouts could occur.

Other measures announced by Baird include:

Working with non-utility generators to maximize their capacity. Encouraging the development of small-scale generation. Establishing province-wide standards for connections to utilities for generators.

The province also expects to add 2,500 megawatts of electricity to the grid by this summer when reactors at the Pickering and Bruce power stations go back into service.

But critics say the generator plan proves the Tory government is worried that the new nuclear electricity supplies won’t be ready this summer.

Energy Probe‘s Tom Adams adds that pollution from diesel-powered generators will have a major impact on Ontario’s air quality.

Baird said his measures will allow the province to reduce its reliance on imported power.

Photo credit: Mike Wise, CBC-TV.