Ontario is looking to add some 5,000 megawatts of energy to the grid as new Energy Minister Stephen Lecce lays out his plan to meet demand in the coming decades.
Lecce says the government is “energy agnostic” and the new procurement will be a mix of natural gas, hydroelectric, renewables, nuclear and biomass.
“With energy demand growing rapidly, our government is stepping up by advancing our largest energy procurement in our history,” said Lecce.
“Our ‘all-of-the-above’ energy resource approach will expand access to affordable electricity to families and businesses across Ontario while opposing the regressive carbon tax. Unlike the former government, which imposed energy projects on unwilling communities, we are putting municipalities in the driver’s seat as we expand energy generation. We are delivering more affordable and reliable energy while protecting prime agricultural areas.”
Ground-mounted solar farms will be banned entirely on prime agricultural land.
The province’s electricity demand is expected to grow by about two per cent each year, but could be even higher depending on electrification within the broader economy.
