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Ontario Secures Landmark Battery Storage Procurement to Meet Future Energy Demands
Ontario has made a significant leap in securing its energy future with the largest battery storage procurement in Canadian history. Announced on May 9, 2024, by the Ministry of Energy, this move is part of Ontario's strategy to enhance clean energy infrastructure and ensure long-term reliability and sustainability.
The procurement round secured 2,195 megawatts (MW) of capacity, enough to meet the peak electricity demand of 2.2 million homes. This includes 1,784 MW of clean energy storage from ten project. With this addition, Ontario's total storage fleet will reach 2,916 MW, surpassing the initial target of 2,500 MW.
Expanding the clean electricity system has been crucial in attracting large-scale manufacturing projects to Ontario. "Our government has now broken records once again by completing the largest battery storage procurement in Canadian history," said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. This ensures a reliable supply of clean energy, supporting economic growth and job creation.
The procurement also includes 411 MW of natural gas and on-farm biogas generation, ensuring reliability during extreme weather conditions. This balanced approach follows advice from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).
The IESO's 2024 Annual Planning Outlook forecasts a 60% increase in electricity demand over the next 25 years. The newly procured resources, expected to be operational by 2028, will be crucial in meeting this demand while maintaining a clean, reliable, and affordable electricity system.
Looking ahead, Ontario plans to continue expanding its clean energy infrastructure through various initiatives, including advancing nuclear power projects, prioritizing new transmission lines, launching energy efficiency programs, and planning further procurements for non-emitting energy resources.
Ontario's completion of the largest battery storage procurement marks a milestone in its journey towards a sustainable energy future, ensuring economic growth, attracting investments, and providing reliable, clean, and affordable power for years to come. For more information, visit Ontario News.
New York’s Local Law 97: A Bold Move and Its Implications for Ontario's EWRB Mandate and Toronto By-law 367
As cities worldwide intensify efforts to curb carbon emissions, New York City’s Local Law 97 has set a new benchmark for building energy efficiency. This law, part of the city's Climate Mobilization Act, targets significant emission reductions from buildings, which contribute a major share of the city's carbon footprint. Ontario's Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) mandate and Toronto’s By-law 367 are efforts that reflect a similar commitment to sustainability.
Local Law 97: An Overview
Local Law 97, effective from January 1, 2024, imposes stringent emission caps on approximately 50,000 buildings in New York City. Mayor Eric Adams' proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 allocates $4 million and adds 36 new full-time staffers to the enforcement team, significantly boosting the city’s capacity to ensure compliance. This brings the total enforcement team to 58 members, more than doubling the previous number. This investment underscores the city's dedication to achieving an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, focusing on buildings that account for two-thirds of these emissions.
Enforcement and Impact
With the additional staff and funding, New York City aims to rigorously enforce Local Law 97, ensuring that building owners take necessary actions to meet emission targets. Buildings that exceed their carbon caps face fines of $268 per ton of carbon dioxide over the limit, potentially amounting to tens of thousands of dollars annually. This robust enforcement mechanism is designed to compel building owners to invest in energy efficiency measures and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Ontario’s EWRB Mandate and Toronto By-law 367: A Unified Approach
Ontario’s EWRB mandate, established under Ontario Regulation 506/18, requires large buildings to report their energy and water usage annually. This initiative aims to enhance energy efficiency by promoting transparency and accountability. Building owners must submit data to the Ministry of Energy by July 1st, which is then published to create benchmarks for energy performance.
Toronto By-law 367 requires large buildings to report their energy and water usage. This by-law mandates that buildings over 100,000 square feet submit annual their energy consumption to the city. This will help identify opportunities for energy savings and operational enhancements, which compliments the city's TransformTO initiative, aiming to cut community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.
Local Law 97 serves as an exemplar for Ontario and
Toronto in several ways:
Enforcement and Staffing: New York City’s significant investment in enforcement staff highlights the importance of adequate resources. Ontario and Toronto could follow suit by ensuring sufficient funding and staffing to support the EWRB mandate and By-law 367.
Penalties and Compliance: The stringent penalties under Local Law 97 for exceeding emission caps emphasize the need for strict compliance mechanisms. Ontario and Toronto could consider similar penalty structures to ensure building owners adhere to energy reporting and audit requirements.
Transparency and Accountability: Both Local Law 97 and the EWRB mandate prioritize transparency. By making energy and water usage data publicly available, these initiatives drive accountability and motivate building owners to improve energy performance.
Ontario’s EWRB mandate and Toronto By-law 367 are vital steps towards enhancing building energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By drawing lessons from New York City’s Local Law 97, these initiatives can be further strengthened to ensure robust compliance and significant emission reductions.
As cities like New York lead the charge with comprehensive laws and dedicated enforcement, Ontario and Toronto are well-positioned to follow suit. Through collaborative efforts and sustained commitment, we can achieve our climate goals and pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future.
For more information on New York's Law 97, click here.
April’s Global Adjustment Mechanism (GAM)e Cost: $0.65 Billion
In April 2024, GA cost was $0.65 billion. This is a 18% decrease from March 2024 GA of $0.80 billion.
If we compare April 2024 with April 2023, there was a 25% decrease (it was $0.88 billion).
The Class B April GA rate was $74.27/MWh ($0.074/kWh)
The Average HOEP for April was $29.1/MWh ($0.029/kWh
With these drastic monthly swings in cost, Energy@Work continues to ask “why?”.
We provide a monthly review of GAM costs, however, the reason for the cost as well as the vast cost fluctuation remains a mystery.
Energy@Work’s services include a “GAM coach”. We maintain the importance of a GAM Strategy for Class A and Class B in order to win the (GAM)e. Our collective savings have exceeded $10 million, and we look forward to continuing to assist.
Monthly Feature: Energy & Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) + Benefits & Challenges
On May 29th and June 19th, we hosted two insightful webinars for condominium managers focused on Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB).
The webinars provided invaluable insights and practical guidance to help you excel in benchmarking.
Participants earned 1 CPE Credit!
Participants of this webinar earned 1 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit, as it is included in the CMRAO’s approved list of activities. This is a fantastic opportunity for professional development while gaining valuable insights into EWRB.
Topics Covered:
Compliance with Ontario Regulation 506/18 and Toronto By-law 367: Led by industry expert Scott Rouse, the webinar covered the submission process in detail, ensuring participants understand the requirements for compliance.
Benefits of Regulatory Compliance: From cost savings to environmental sustainability, the webinar highlighted the myriad benefits of adhering to these regulations.
Overcoming Challenges: Addressed common challenges faced by condominium managers, offering strategies and insights to navigate them with ease.
This webinar equipped condominium managers with the knowledge and tools necessary to excel in EWRB, enhancing their professional skills and understanding of compliance requirements.