Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Opposed

Sparks fly over state of the art Power Generation Plant

Toronto star Feb. 2, 2006. 01:00 AM
JOHN SPEARS AND RICHARD BRENNAN
STAFF REPORTERS

Mayor David Miller and Ontario Energy Minister Donna Cansfield appear to be on a collision course over the need for what Miller calls a "mega-power" plant in the city's port lands. Miller said yesterday he opposes a proposal by Ontario Power Generation and TransCanada Corp. to build a 550-megawatt Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power plant on the eastern side of Toronto's waterfront, beside the old Hearn generating station. Miller said building a big plant is "reacting in a crisis way" to a problem that needs long-term thinking.

That's not how Cansfield sees it. "It's a crisis situation," she told the Star, noting there is an immediate need for 250 megawatts of electricity in the city.

The Independent Electricity System Operator has said that central Toronto risks rolling blackouts in the summer of 2008 unless 250 megawatts of generating capacity is built in the city core. Another 250 megawatts is needed by 2010.

Cansfield said it's better to build the new capacity all at once. "I am not going to say you only need 300 (megawatts) now, knowing that they need 550 (megawatts) in 2010. To me, that's misleading people," she said. "What we will do is build the plant that ultimately will be the 550 (megawatts), but we will start with phase one at 250," she said. The plant, likely to be built on the site of the Hearn plant rather than inside the existing mothballed coal-fired plant, will provide steam or heat as saleable byproduct. But Miller said he's been talking to city-owned Toronto Hydro, which is interested in building a 350-megawatt plant in the city core and has plans to cut 200 megawatts of demand through conservation measures.