Ontario announced Aug. 27 it plans to procure an additional 2,000 MW of generation from renewables, including hydropower.
The Ontario Energy Ministry said Ontario Power Authority would begin the process of procuring the first 500 MW by the end of 2007. All procurements under the new directive will be for projects that are greater than 10 MW.
OPA is to initiate consultations with First Nations, the renewable energy industry, and other stakeholders to establish timelines and to determine just how the additional power will be procured.
The ministry said the new procurement would bring renewables capacity acquired by the present government to more than 4,000 MW.
�Since 2003, we have reached agreements that will generate over 2,000 MW of green, renewable power for Ontario families,� Energy Minister Dwight Duncan said. �Today, we’re taking steps to double it.�
During the last four years, the government signed contracts to buy electricity from 18 projects across Ontario through two requests for proposals that will generate more than 1,300 MW from renewables, including hydropower. It also launched a Standard Offer Program for renewables, signing more than 100 contracts representing more than 500 MW of distributed generation from renewables. (HNN 6/20/07)
The province also began building a new power tunnel that will add an anticipated 200 MW from hydropower to the grid by transporting more water to Ontario Power Generation’s 2,000-MW Sir Adam Beck complex. (HNN 8/9/06)
The government said the new procurement is to help it meet a target of contracting 5 percent of Ontario’s total energy capacity from new renewable sources by 2007, or 1,350 MW, and 10 percent by 2010, or 2,700 MW. The long-term goal for Ontario is to ensure 15,700 MW of renewables generating capacity by 2025.
At an August meeting in Moncton, New Brunswick, the premiers of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories agreed to produce collectively an additional 25,000 MW by 2020 from renewable sources such as hydro, tidal, wind, and solar. (HNN 8/16/07)
