Wind power is erratic and unreliable

Source: IESO power data, accessed 11:30 a,m. July 30, 2026

July 30, 2026

A few months ago, Ontario energy minister Stephen Lecce said that Ontario was pursuing an aggressive program of nuclear and hydro power because, he said, “You can’t run a full-time economy on part-time power.”

This summer has offered almost daily proof that, in Ontario at least, wind power just can’t do what is asked of it.

At the time of writing for example, IESO power supply and demand stats show that while demand of more than 18,000 megawatts, wind power is providing just over 300 megawatts. Last hour it was 200. For the entire province.

Locally, output from the 29 wind turbines at Crysler-Finch-Berwick have been in the single digits all day and at the time of writing, output is exactly zero. It was zero last hour too, and hasn’t gone over 7 MW all day, so far.

Several “environmental” and “climate” organizations in Ottawa are pushing wind power as a clean alternative to current electricity production (though emissions-free nuclear an hydro do most of the work) despite the fact that the many environmental concerns about low power-density, land-gobbling, noise polluting wind turbines clearly go against their other program goals. Like, saving birds.

But whatever else you think about industrial wind power sites, the fact remains: in ONtario, with our climate and weather patterns, wind doesn’t work. It can’t. And battery storage can only do so much. Very little, in fact.

With a very important municipal election approaching, it will be important to ask candidates, do they believe in the wind power public relations? Or the truth. The numbers tell the story.