Ontario is preparing to expand gas-fired power supply as the province seeks to address rising demands for electricity.
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the Crown corporation responsible for operating Ontario’s electricity market, said gas-fired plants are needed as the province seeks to address the power shortage left by the retirement of a nuclear power plant in Pickering, and other nuclear-generating units that are down for refurbishment.
“It’s really important to have natural gas as an insurance policy to be there to keep the lights on and provide the reliability that we need,” Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith told CBC News. “We need to have natural gas for the short term, especially to get us through these refurbishments.”…