January 11, 2022

Ottawa’s Energy Evolution Wishbook puts forward the idea that the City can subsist on renewables going forward, and calls for 3200 megawatts of new power generation—wind, solar, hydro, and battery storage–by 2050 to achieve “Net Zero.”

Today is a good lesson in why that proposal is wishful thinking and not based on reality.

It is the coldest day of the winter so far. Ontario demand for power as at 11 a.m. is 20,169 megawatts.

Wind throughout the entire province is supplying 983 megawatts.

Here in “low wind resource” Eastern Ontario, the 100-megawatt capacity Nation Rise power project at Crysler (Crysler-Finch-Berwick) is providing TWO megawatts of power.

TWO.

It stands to reason that any wind turbines operating just 40 minutes north inside the rural areas of Ottawa would not be faring any better.

In short, wind power is a no-show, exactly when you need it.

This is a simple fact of Ontario’s climate and the fact that we have very little wind during the summer and winter which, incidentally, is when we have extremes of temperature. (See Wind: Ontario’s High-Cost Millstone)

Ottawa’s Energy Evolution document needs a re-think and a rewrite, now, with a dose of reality added.

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

#ottawa #energyevolution #Winddoesntwork