Hydro capacity 'tightness' could cause energy shortfalls in Ontario this summer, report warns
The early spring heatwave in Ottawa brought something we may be seeing more of as the summer heats up: power failures.
Ontario’s electricity grid could be in a precarious spot, especially when demand spikes in a heat wave, according to a new report.
A North American electricity regulator says Ontario is the only province in Canada that is at risk of an energy shortage, which means power outages.
"That’s all because of the tightness of the capacity situation in Ontario and that’s mainly driven by four nuclear units that are out for fairly significant refurbishment," said Jim Robb, president of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
Robb says nuclear refurbishment at a number of sites, including Darlington, are a factor but there are risks to the province’s energy shortage including the province’s growth.
"What has been problematic for Ontario is that the IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator) has been looking to add capacity to the system and soliciting for new construction, but the response to that hasn’t been as robust as they had hoped," Robb said.
"Plus electrification policies that are starting to kick in, we are seeing those effects starting to kick in."
The situation is problematic as Ontarians get ready to crank the air conditioning this summer.
"If we find ourselves in a situation where we are in a heat wave, a one in ten year hot weather event, that becomes problematic," Robb said. "The biggest risk for Ontario this summer is if there is a heat dome, like we have seen form over the west over the last several summers. If a heat dome formed that encompassed both parts of Quebec and a large part of Ontario, you could find it very difficult to import the power that you need."
Robb said that’s the scenario that would lead to rotating outages.
Meanwhile, experts say there shouldn’t be a widespread outage like the blackout of 2003.
"The grid today is in much better shape today than it was 20 years ago, there’s been significant investments, which makes an outage like that much more unlikely," said Tom Chapman, an energy economist with the Brattle Group. "You can never rule it out but it’s certainly much more unlikely."
The NDP believes funding cuts to renewable projects are partially to blame for the regulator's findings. The Minister of Energy pushed back, saying the province's system is 90 per cent clean and attracting investments from around the world.
CTV News Ottawa reached out to Hydro Ottawa for comment, but did not hear back before publishing.
On June 1, thousands of customers in Ottawa's west end lost power during the hottest day of the year.
Hydro Ottawa blamed a strain on the system for the outages, caused by people turning on air conditioners.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.