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Toronto, March 25, 2003 – The Independent Electricity Market Operator (IMO) today released its 18-month Outlook which notes that the return to service of three nuclear generating units will be a key factor in ensuring continued reliability of Ontario's electricity system over the next 18 months.
"The two units at the Bruce A station and one unit at Pickering A will provide satisfactory reserve margins for the summer months of July, August and September if they are returned to service on schedule," said Dave Goulding, President and CEO of the IMO.
Bruce Power has notified the IMO that key milestones are being met in the return to service of Bruce A units 4 and 3 and they expect the units to begin producing electricity in April and June respectively. Ontario Power Generation has also advised the IMO that the first Pickering A unit is scheduled to begin producing electricity by the end of June. The three units have a combined capacity of more than 2,000 MW.
Goulding cautioned that Ontario may face an increased reliance on power from other jurisdictions if unexpected hot weather occurs in May and June before the scheduled restart of two of the three nuclear units and through the summer if the units do not make their targets.
The 18-month Outlook also notes that a new generating station in Sarnia is now producing electricity, which will help deal with higher demands in the summer.
The IMO publishes the assessment of the reliability of the Ontario electricity system for an 18-month period every quarter. This outlook covers the period from April 2003 until September 2004. The assessment is based on the IMO’s forecast of electricity demand, information provided by Ontario generators on their projected supply and the latest information on the Ontario transmission system.
The outlook considers two scenarios – An Existing Resource Scenario with no new generation over the next 18 months and a Planned Resource Scenario that incorporates the new generating capacity scheduled to be introduced into the Ontario market in that period. The outlook also considers a variety of weather scenarios.
The report is available at: www.theimo.com/imoweb/pubs/marketReports/18MonthOutlook_2003apr.pdf
The Independent Electricity Market Operator (IMO) is responsible for operating and regulating Ontario's bulk electricity system and the wholesale electricity market. For more information, visit www.theimo.com.
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