The agency that watches over Ontario’s electricity needs says the province has an adequate supply that will take it well into next year.
The Independent Electricity System Operator forecasts the demand for electricity to increase by 1% this year, with a further hike of 2.9% in 2025.
The IESO attributes the increase to new major industries being added to the grid.
The agency says Ontario may have to rely on power imported from other jurisdictions to ensure the reliability of the system during extreme weather conditions.
The province regularly imports energy to reduce costs but rarely needs to do so to ensure reliability.
New Energy Minister Stephen Lecce is confident in the electricity system and its supply.
“We are absolutely confident in our capacity to meet the demands of families today,” says Lecce.
“We have expanded, of course, our nuclear fleet. We are making major investments in Bruce and (Darlington Nuclear Stations). We’ve also expanded natural gas and using all forms of renewables. So we have been very committed to the expansion of energy infrastructure to build up that capability.”
New transmission lines are under development to increase supply.
In northwestern Ontario, the IESO sees the benefits of the East-West Tie Expansion, a 230 kV transmission line between Wawa and Thunder Bay, being realized by the end of the year.
The line was constructed to ensure a reliable and cost-effective supply of electricity was maintained in northwestern Ontario for the long term.
