The Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA), an organization that led the successful campaign to phase-out Ontario’s five coal-fired power plants, and are now working to move Ontario towards a 100% renewable future, are proposing a cost-effective alternative to the proposed TC Energy Corporation (formerly TransCanada Pipeline) project for a pumped storage plant (PSP) on the shore of Georgian Bay. The OCAA proposes an alternative that would benefit the Ontario rate payer by reducing the cost by 98% of the TC Energy proposal.

TC Energy is seeking a contract from the Government of Ontario to finance the construction of its Georgian Bay PSP. The proposed PSP will pump 20 million cubic meters of water from the Georgian Bay at night to a 375-acre man-made reservoir in the Niagara Escarpment, and release it back into the bay during the day to generate electricity. The plant will use 30% more energy than it generates when it pumps water to the upper reservoir, generating only 1,000 megawatts of power while consuming 1,250 megawatts.

The OCAA proposes extending transmission lines to use water power from Quebec during Ontario's peak demand instead.

“Hydro One could upgrade its transmission system to allow us to import an additional 2,000 megawatts of peak Quebec water power at a cost of only approximately $80 million. Quebec could provide us with twice as much peak power as the TC Energy project at a capital cost that is 98.14 percent lower,” said Jack Gibbons, Chair, OCAA.

“According to TC Energy, the PSP is the 'most proven, economical' way to provide us with 1,000 megawatts of peak power to help phase-out Ontario’s gas-fired power plants. This is simply not true,” added Gibbons.

More information about the OCAA proposal can be found at www.cleanairalliance.org.

source: media release, Ontario Clean Air Alliance