06-12-2006, 11:10 AM
Coal-fired power plants to stay open
CTV.ca News Staff
New predictions for electricity supplies in Ontario mean the government's promise to close two coal-fired power plants will have to be delayed, according to the group that monitors the provincial electricity system.
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) admitted Friday that the forecast revisions mean coal burning generators will need to operate longer than the McGuinty government had promised.
In a report released Friday, the IESO said increasing electrical demand in Ontario makes the delay necessary.
"What we are saying in our report, we've identified a need for a significant delay in the shutdown of the coal facilities," IESO spokesperson Terry Young said.
Young blamed the increasing use of air conditioners for the spikes in electricity demand. He said the IESO used the latest power demand information to rework the forecasts.
"That's an increasing impact that we've seen over the last few years and what we're now doing is revising our forecast to the planning assumptions we use in determining those forecasts to incorporate some of these recent experiences over the summer."
The IESO also cited the need for more resources in the system and pointed to delays in bringing replacement generation on-line.
"As a result of the change in planning assumptions, there is a 2,500 to 3,000 megawatt overall increase to forecast resource requirements over that previously identified,'' the IESO report said.
One fifth of Ontario's electricity supply is generated by burning coal. But there are concerns about air pollution and the resulting smog that forms.
Pollution was behind the election promise to close the generating stations, but three of the plants slated to be mothballed next year have about 2,500 megawatts of capacity.
The IESO report recommended that the Lambton station near Sarnia remain open for longer. It also recommended that the Nanticoke plant in southwestern Ontario remain open beyond the scheduled closing date of 2009.
The Nanticoke station has often been referred to as the province's worst polluter.
Government sources told The Canadian Press that the changes in IESO forecasts are causing "tension'' among the governing Liberals because it may force them to delay for a second time the closures promised in their 2003 election platform.
One source said the IESO grossly underestimated daily demand patterns last summer by comparing them to winter, when a peak early morning period is followed by a steady decline throughout the day.
In reality, hot weather forces air conditioners to operate almost all day, making the peak daily period in summer that much longer.
The source also said the IESO miscalculated how much supply can be generated from hydroelectric dams during summer as water levels recede over the day.
Young does not agree with the assertion that forecasting changes involved errors and miscalculations. He said the government knew about the changes months ago.
"What's happened is that last fall, after the summer, we told stakeholders and market participants that we were going to be looking at the planning assumptions around demand, and hydroelectric, given the experiences of the summer," Young told The Canadian Press
"The error would have been if we hadn't done it."
With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press
CTV.ca News Staff
New predictions for electricity supplies in Ontario mean the government's promise to close two coal-fired power plants will have to be delayed, according to the group that monitors the provincial electricity system.
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) admitted Friday that the forecast revisions mean coal burning generators will need to operate longer than the McGuinty government had promised.
In a report released Friday, the IESO said increasing electrical demand in Ontario makes the delay necessary.
"What we are saying in our report, we've identified a need for a significant delay in the shutdown of the coal facilities," IESO spokesperson Terry Young said.
Young blamed the increasing use of air conditioners for the spikes in electricity demand. He said the IESO used the latest power demand information to rework the forecasts.
"That's an increasing impact that we've seen over the last few years and what we're now doing is revising our forecast to the planning assumptions we use in determining those forecasts to incorporate some of these recent experiences over the summer."
The IESO also cited the need for more resources in the system and pointed to delays in bringing replacement generation on-line.
"As a result of the change in planning assumptions, there is a 2,500 to 3,000 megawatt overall increase to forecast resource requirements over that previously identified,'' the IESO report said.
One fifth of Ontario's electricity supply is generated by burning coal. But there are concerns about air pollution and the resulting smog that forms.
Pollution was behind the election promise to close the generating stations, but three of the plants slated to be mothballed next year have about 2,500 megawatts of capacity.
The IESO report recommended that the Lambton station near Sarnia remain open for longer. It also recommended that the Nanticoke plant in southwestern Ontario remain open beyond the scheduled closing date of 2009.
The Nanticoke station has often been referred to as the province's worst polluter.
Government sources told The Canadian Press that the changes in IESO forecasts are causing "tension'' among the governing Liberals because it may force them to delay for a second time the closures promised in their 2003 election platform.
One source said the IESO grossly underestimated daily demand patterns last summer by comparing them to winter, when a peak early morning period is followed by a steady decline throughout the day.
In reality, hot weather forces air conditioners to operate almost all day, making the peak daily period in summer that much longer.
The source also said the IESO miscalculated how much supply can be generated from hydroelectric dams during summer as water levels recede over the day.
Young does not agree with the assertion that forecasting changes involved errors and miscalculations. He said the government knew about the changes months ago.
"What's happened is that last fall, after the summer, we told stakeholders and market participants that we were going to be looking at the planning assumptions around demand, and hydroelectric, given the experiences of the summer," Young told The Canadian Press
"The error would have been if we hadn't done it."
With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press