[Date Prev][Date Next] [Chronological] [Thread] [Archive Top]

[cdn-nucl-l] Unprecedented electricity demand in Ontario

Here are the peak numbers as reported by the IMO:

- Tuesday, August 7:             25,190 MW at 3:30 PM
- Wednesday, August 8:       25,269 MW at 3:30 PM
- Thursday, August 9:           25,022 MW at 12:20 PM

Before this, the previous all-time high took place on January 19, 1994:
~21,000 MW, as I recall.

We sure could use Pickering A and Bruce A back in service, couldn't we?

Jerry

----- Original Message -----
From: "MCLEAN Adam -NUCLEAR" <adam.mclean@opg.com>
To: "'cdn-nucl-l@mailman.McMaster.CA.'"
<cdn-nucl-l@informer2.cis.McMaster.CA>
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 4:39 PM
Subject: [cdn-nucl-l] Star: We'll freeze in the dark if electricity is
deregulated


> We'll freeze in the dark if electricity is deregulated
> The Toronto Star August 7, 2001 Page A17 Myron Gordon and John Wilson
> California is very sick with deregulation fever but the illness doesn't
have
> to be terminal. With rehabilitation, California could once again lead the
> United States as its biggest economic power.  It's a different story for
> Ontario. If it can't prevent the dreaded electrical deregulation and
> privatization disease, the result will be fatal. Why can California bounce
> back to economic health with the proper medicine while Ontario will be
> destined for Third World status? The answer is simple.
> California's economic health requires reasonable electricity prices. For
> decades, California has had reasonable but higher electricity prices than
> the states that border it. Its economic growth occurred in spite of its
> relatively higher prices. Unfortunately, it can't continue to grow with
> frequent blackouts and prices increasing 5,000 per cent in just one year.
> But, with a healthy dose of increased conservation, more generation and
the
> state's return to regulation of the industry, California can get back the
> reasonable price it needs and economic health can return.
> On the other hand, Ontario's economic health depends on an electricity
price
> that is not just reasonable but is significantly lower than that of its
U.S.
> neighbours. This lower price gives Ontario an advantage. It lets us
compete
> with American businesses in mining resources, pulping paper, manufacturing
> steel and producing automobiles. Soon after Ontario's electricity is
> deregulated and privatized, our electricity prices will be pushed to the
> same level as that of our U.S. neighbours. Ontario's standard of living
will
> drop, there will be fewer jobs and our economy will nose dive.  And worse
> yet, once deregulation and privatization take away our competitive
> electricity edge, we will not be able to conserve and generate enough
> electricity to get it back. This is because the North American Free Trade
> Agreement (NAFTA) will prevent it. Under NAFTA, Ontario will have less
> freedom of action and control of its electric power industry than
California
> currently has of its electricity industry.
> NAFTA gives Americans wide-open access to Ontario's electricity. Once
> deregulation and privatization hit, the government will be helpless and
> unable to stop privatized generators in Ontario from selling to U.S.
> customers. Even if there is a provincial power shortage, if we can't match
> what Americans pay, Ontarians will freeze in the dark. No matter how much
> electricity we conserve or how many generating plants we build, Americans
> will continue to buy Ontario electricity and drive up Ontario prices until
> they are as high as American prices. With our competitive edge _
relatively
> low-priced electricity _ gone, Ontario's economy will be permanently
> crippled.
> The Ontario government is hastily privatizing our electricity generation
and
> has passed legislation that will very soon force Ontarians into the highly
> competitive electricity market that is sitting on our doorstep.
Electricity
> prices in New York are more than double ours. The U.S. has built little
> generation or transmission capacity during the last decade and supply is
> very tight. In addition, natural gas, a much touted alternative to coal
and
> nuclear generation, is doubling and tripling in price. The price of
> electricity for Ontarians will soar as more and more of our supply is sold
> to the U.S. Also, the likelihood of blackouts will increase as provincial
> supplies fall.
> Alberta's electricity deregulation provides Ontarians with a picture of
> their future. Alberta electricity prices were lower than Ontario's before
> deregulation. They are now more than triple our prices. Industry is
reducing
> operations, closing or moving work to the less electricity expensive night
> shift. The government is being forced to provide billions of dollars in
> rebates to residents and small businesses.  Alberta is paying for the
> mistake of deregulating electricity with the enormous revenues it receives
> from gas and oil sales. Unfortunately, Ontario doesn't have access to the
> billions of dollars that will be needed to pay for deregulating its
> electricity.  In Ontario, it is the residents, businesses and industry
that
> will pay dearly for the Harris government's electricity deregulation
> mistake.  Other big electricity producing provinces have decided not to
tie
> themselves to a volatile high-priced American market. Quebec, Manitoba and
> British Columbia are maintaining low, stable electricity prices for their
> residents, commercial businesses and industry. They do this by continuing
to
> regulate and retain their provincial electricity companies, selling their
> excess electricity to Americans for huge profits and using the gains to
> finance health, education and other government services. Unless the Harris
> government changes its direction, Ontarians will soon live in a Third
World
> economy that envies its smarter and wealthier provincial neighbours.
> Electricity deregulation will be a fatal disease for Ontario.
> Myron Gordon is professor of finance emeritus at the Rotman School of
> Management, University of Toronto. John Wilson is former president of the
> Society of Energy Professionals and a former board member of Ontario Hydro
> Services Company (now Hydro One).
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> cdn-nucl-l mailing list
> cdn-nucl-l@mailman.McMaster.CA
> http://mailman.McMaster.CA/mailman/listinfo/cdn-nucl-l