'No power equals no growth': Windsor explores short-term energy solutions

Windsor City Council will soon be asked to support a handful of energy initiatives to ensure enough supply for the region today and in the future.

The city recently spent $86,000 on a report from consulting firm “Power Advisory,” laying to bare the looming energy crunch in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.

“Electrification is certainly driving a lot of the growth not only you know, just in Windsor, but across the province,” said Sarah Simmons, the director of utilities and innovation at Power Advisory.

As CTV reported in March, a 230-kilovolt transmission line will be constructed from the Chatham station to a new Lakeshore station by 2025.

Meantime, Power Advisory is recommending a list of other local solutions to bridge the supply gap.

Council is being asked to endorse efforts for the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to re-contract Brighton Beach Generating Station, a gas plant with 600-megawatt capacity, currently generating power at only five per cent of capacity.

There’s also a request to the province to investigate energy imports from Michigan using the Windsor-Detroit Energy Intertie.

“I don't think there's an option to not explore these options, to be frank,” said Simmons.

Stephen MacKenzie of Invest Windsor Essex says ever since the NextStar Energy EV battery plant announcement in March, companies are making decisions about where to locate, looking to be in close proximity to the battery plant.

“That reliability and constant, consistent demand is absolutely just a prime important factor,” said MacKenzie.

“It's really simple,” said Windsor mayoral candidate, Drew Dilkens. “No power equals no growth.”

The solutions proposed are considered short-term until energy conservation and green alternatives are developed.

But more pressing, according to Dilkens, is ensuring the power is guaranteed to be here when it’s needed and in the right quantity.

The energy report will go before council Sept. 26.

“At the end of the day if you don't have power for businesses looking to locate and set up shop and your community they simply go somewhere else,” said Dilkens. “We can't afford that.”