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Author Archives: energyprbe
Energy misers may get break
Households and small businesses that use 10 per cent less electricity this summer would get a 10 per cent discount on their hydro bills under an ambitious conservation program being proposed by Toronto Hydro Corp.
The utility has asked the Ontario Energy Board for permission to launch its $5.6 million 10/10 program on July 15. If approved later this month, half-a-million Toronto Hydro-Electric System customers would be automatically enrolled in the three-month pilot, which is modelled after a similar initiative proven effective in California.
Ontario swelters
The sweltering heat blanketing much of Southern Ontario pushed electricity consumption to its highest level this summer, forcing the province to rely on power from the United States.
Demand for power peaked at 25,898 megawatts yesterday afternoon, within striking distance of the record high of 26,160 megawatts in July, 2005.
The province’s electricity manager issued an emergency alert at 1:15 p.m., saying it had maxed out its own generating capacity and would be importing power from Michigan, New York and Quebec.
Son of Ontario Hydro starting to make good: a response
Re: "Son of Ontario Hydro starting to make good," July 19, 2006
To support his argument that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has turned around its history of bad behaviour, Ian Urquhart claims that OPG’s credit rating has been upgraded and it has completed the refurbishment of Pickering 1 within $100 million of budget. The first claim sounds important but is really empty praise and the second claim is wrong.
Energy conservation schemes a tough sell with public
Toronto: As temperatures soar across the country, Canadians are being reminded to dim the lights, turn down the air conditioning and join provincial governments in embracing a culture of energy conservation.
But while most critics agree people have good intentions, they say preserving the country’s fragile electricity resources is still relatively low on the national priority list.
Can't take the heat
Feeling the heat, Canadians are being reminded to dim the lights, turn down the air conditioning and join governments in embracing a culture of energy conservation.
While most critics agree people have good intentions, they say preserving fragile electricity resources remains a relatively low priority.
The call to conserve power is expected to be particularly urgent in Ontario this week, with 30C heat in the forecast.
Ontario urges power conservation as usage hits peak
Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator issued a power warning on Tuesday as blistering heat and humidity fueled power demand to record levels, urging consumers to curb electricity use until 8 p.m. EDT to ease the strain on the bulk system.
"We are going to be relying on imports over the peak (afternoon) hour but at this point, we are anticipating being able to meet demand," said Lisa Pearson, an IESO spokeswoman.
Crank up the air conditioning: It's a hot one today
With mercury levels expected to hit between a scorching 34 to 36 Celsius today, hydro officials anticipate residents to blast their air conditioners, sucking up more energy than they have ever used before.
Ontario’s all-time energy consumption record sits at 26,160 megawatts, set a year ago on July 13.
No more blackouts? No guarantees, say experts
As Monday marks the third anniversary of the blackout that cut power to 50 million people in Ontario and parts of the northeastern United States, some energy experts say there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.
Some critics blamed the problem three years ago on a lack of enforceable rules governing the many independent power producers on the gird. They say the same problems remain to this day.
Hydro reliability has improved since lights went out in 2003
Three years to the day after 50 million people in Ontario and parts of the north-eastern United States were plunged into darkness, energy watchdogs say improved reliability measures make a repeat of the blackout unlikely, but warn conservation measures are still needed.
"All of the major transmission utilities have invested significant dollars in upgrading their system," said energy critic Tom Adams, executive director of Energy Probe. "We still have a ways to go but there is meaningful progress."
New power meters let users cash in
Hamilton will move one step closer to curbing soaring energy consumption today with the launch of a new billing pilot project that promises to change how customers use – and pay for – electricity.
Horizon Utilities will begin installing time-of-use meters in several Hamilton-area neighbourhoods this morning that will eventually reward customers for using power at low-peak times and penalize those guzzling electricity during high-demand hours.
The new "smart meters" will replace existing meters in 7,500 homes by the end of October.
Energy Probe 