2023-Dec-14
Minister of Energy Provides an Update on Ontario’s Energy Storage and Supply Strategy
GBA and Save Georgian Bay are hoping that our combined efforts to date to persuade the Minister to drop his support for the TC Energy proposed pumped storage project may have had some impact. Minister Todd Smith has not yet made a decision on the project, which he previously advised would be done by Nov 30.
This means that there is still time to send an email to your MPP to help persuade the Ministry of Energy to drop its support for the project, which can be done here.
During a recent speech at the Empire Club, the Minister unveiled future plans to ensure a reliable power supply amidst growing electricity demand, including a reference to the need for continued analysis and review of two pump storage projects, which are the proposed Northland Power project (closed loop, low cost, low environmental impact) and the TC Energy project (open loop, high cost, high environmental impact). The future plans included some encouraging and innovative solutions that have been approved and are moving ahead, including the promising roles of storage technologies, such as batteries and low-carbon hydrogen, and the ongoing need for nuclear, hydro and renewables to meet most demand (with gas still required to ensure stability of supply during high demand periods, such as extreme heat and cold). Overall, the plan is to meet most energy needs sustainably.
Click here to watch select clips from the Minister of Energy’s speech or you can watch his full presentation here.
