June 27, 2024 – Ottawa – Today, the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Electrification, joined Ontario Power Generation to announce investment plans for eight eastern Ontario hydroelectric facilities. Refurbishing these perpetual assets will ensure they continue to provide affordable, reliable and clean electricity for decades to come.
“Sustaining Ontario’s waterpower fleet is not only important for system reliability, it’s a boost to our economy”, said Paul Norris, President of the Ontario Waterpower Association. “Up to ninety percent (90%) of every dollar invested in maintaining hydroelectric assets stays right here in Ontario, and much of that locally.”
Earlier in the day, Norris joined Minister Lecce and his Parliamentary Assistant MPP John Yakabuski at the Chenaux Generation Station in Horton, Ontario. At the event, OPG detailed its plans to re-furbish its facilities on the Ottawa and Madawaska Rivers over the coming years, building on recent announcements at the Sir Adam Beck and R.H. Saunders stations in Niagara and Cornwall respectively. The government’s Powering Ontario’s Growth specifically references the optimization of Ontario’s Hydroelectric Fleet, with a commitment to ensuring the maintenance and upgrading of hydroelectric facilities across the province. In addition to OPG’s investments, the government has directed the IESO to design and implement Programs to re-contract non rate regulated facilities.
“Achieving our electrification and economic growth objectives will require the expansion of all forms of generation, including our hydroelectric resources”, added Norris. “Paced investments like these at existing facilities create the confidence and capacity across the entire industry supply chain that will be required to build the next generation of Made-in-Ontario waterpower.”
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Ontario’s 224 waterpower facilities provide one quarter of the province’s electricity. It is estimated that there is 4,000-5,000 MW of untapped potential – up to a 50% increase in waterpower’s contribution.
For more information on OWA, visit www.owa.ca.
Contact:
Paul Norris
President
Ontario Waterpower Association
Email: [email protected]