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EDITORIAL: ETF makes good case

The Energy Task Force is at it again, attempting to convince the province to convert the Thunder Bay Generating Station to natural gas. They seem to haave a compelling argument.

The Energy Task Force is at it again, attempting to convince the province to convert the Thunder Bay Generating Station to natural gas.

They seem to haave a compelling argument.

If their projections are right, the region could be facing rolling blackouts if available power can’t meet demand.

Under high-water conditions the region should be OK, but as soon as water levels drop, the ETF projects shortages.

According to their figures, in 2017, the TBGS will need to output a continuous 150 MW supply of electricity, 300 MW by 2018 and full capacity for months at a time beyond 2020.

The situation gets worse under low-water conditions.

It sounds like the Ontario Power Authority is starting to listen to what the ETF has to say.

But with a two-year window needed to convert the first unit to natural gas, time is running out.

Should the ETF’s projections be remotely close and many of the mines they say are going to open in the next few years actually do, we could be facing a crisis.

Yes, it will be expensive to convert the plant, but the impact to the economy by not seeing the conversion through could be even more dramatic to residents and businesses.

 





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