After years of stable supply, Ontario’s electricity system is in the early stages of a dramatic transformation to support decarbonization and economic growth. As the number of electric cars, trucks and buses continues to rise, homeowners and businesses consider a switch to electric heating and manufacturers begin the transition from fossil fuel processes to electric alternatives, Ontario’s demand for electricity will increase. This will put additional stress on the provincial electricity system. Electricity demand in Ontario is set to increase significantly in the next two decades as the economy grows and many fossil fuel-dependent processes switch to electricity. The IESO forecasts electricity demand to increase two per cent annually over the next 20 years.
Save Georgian Bay fully appreciates the need for increased renewable electricity supply and storage in Ontario to meet growing needs. We support efforts to take urgent action against climate change, including decarbonizing the grid, and recognize the role that electricity storage plays in that process. But we do not believe this project provides a rational or viable solution. There are numerous newer and more efficient technologies that are far less environmentally damaging and expensive that can be built in much shorter time. We urge governments at every level to examine and adopt more efficient and cost-effective storage solutions that do not exact such negative tolls on the environment and priceless natural landscape. It is essential to balance the need for sustainable energy solutions with the preservation and stewardship of our natural environment for generations to come.
Source: IESO Annual Planning Outlook, Ontario’s electricity system needs: 2024-2043. December 2022
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