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Getting Zapped: Ontario electricity prices increasing faster than anywhere else
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Author Archives: energyprbe
Eves foresees a nuclear future
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont.: More nuclear power plants are one way to avoid electricity shortages that could douse the lights in Ontario this summer and into the future, Premier Ernie Eves said yesterday at a press conference where he confirmed the province plans to deal with immediate, short-term supply problems through the use of temporary, industrial-sized gas and diesel generators.
Tories kill plan to reduce share of hydro market
TORONTO – After insisting for years the provincial government should abandon the business of generating electricity, Ontario’s governing Conservatives are looking to make major investments in power plants to counter looming electricity shortages.
Provincially owned Ontario Power Generation recently announced a 50-50 partnership with TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. to assess the viability of building a new gas-fuelled generating plant at a downtown Toronto site already owned by OPG.
Ontario Hydro's successor tries to avert blackouts
Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation, the Crown’s legal successor to the former Ontario Hydro, yesterday released its plan to give Ontario a little more margin to avert potential rolling blackouts. The plan is to contract for 200-400 megawatts of emergency generation to be installed ASAP and to run for at least the summer and fall of 2003. Extensions beyond that are specifically allowed for in the plan.
Residents fuming over proposed neighbourhood generator
Residents and politicians are fuming over the province’s plans to put temporary diesel-powered generators in Ontario neighbourhoods to help produce enough electricity to meet demand.
The corner of Finch Ave. E. and Leslie St. is among a half-dozen sites where a collection of tractor trailer-sized generators could be turned on during peak demand periods when Ontarians crank up air conditioners during the summer’s hottest days. Others include sites at the corner of Kipling Ave. and Dundas Ave. and in Etobicoke, Scarborough, London and Ottawa.
Energy Probe warns of energy crisis
Enjoy those low hydro prices now. According to Energy-Probe executive director Thomas Adams, these artificially low prices are one ingredient of an eventual disaster.
Energy Probe — a charitable organization that promotes resource conservation, environmental sus-tainability, democratic decision making and economic efficiency in Canada’s energy sector — sees a disheartening number of parallels between Ontario’s situation and the power crisis in California several years ago.
Worse to come in Ontario as dollar, power costs soar
Scary things are happening in Ontario, and it’s not just the new SARS outbreak. Last week, DaimlerChrysler abandoned plans to build a $1.6-billion pickup truck assembly plant in Windsor. That was the big headline.
There were smaller ones, largely unnoticed. Domtar closed a sawmill in White River, putting almost 200 workers on the dole. In struggling Northern Ontario, that’s close to a catastrophe. Forestry, mining and steel companies are hurting across the province and layoffs are bound to accelerate.
Hydro cap hits $600M
While electricity prices averaging 4.5 cents per kilowatt hour in May were significantly below what they have been, they were still above the frozen rate of 4.3 cents put in place by the provincial government last fall in the face of public fury over soaring power bills.
Ontario power grid faces trial by fire
Ontario can expect another long, anxious summer of watching the electricity system get stretched to the limit until several laid-up nuclear reactors return to service, says the agency that runs the province’s power grid.
"Until the nuclear units return to service, Ontario faces a summer supply situation similar to the one experienced last year," says the Independent Electricity Market Operator (IMO) in the latest revision of its 18-month forecast.
And the report has more bad news for the troubled Pickering A nuclear station.
Ontario faces severe energy shortage
TORONTO: Canada’s largest province may not make it through the next few months without some power blackouts, according to an environmental research group.
"We got through last summer by just the skin of our teeth, and this summer looks more serious," says Tom Adams, executive director of Energy Probe [pictured left].
Demand is up while supply is far too low, Adams told CBC Newsworld Thursday.
Blackout Ernie versus your BBQ
"Good news, honey!" I told my husband yesterday. "I’m going out to get some Swiss Chalet for dinner. Premier’s orders." I thought my husband would be thrilled because he is very conservation-minded. Also, he also loves that secret sauce.
Energy Probe 