Mining development in the Far North means the need for power will be on the rise.
Northern Superior Regional Grand Chief Peter Collins is supporting a proposal put forth by the City of Thunder Bay to have the Thunder Bay Generating Station converted to natural gas.
“The demands on hydro are expected to increase significantly and this proposed conversion is the most efficient and cost effective method of meeting those needs,” said Collins in a June 13 news release. “This development is crucial to our economy growth and sustainability.”
Collins is the former chief of the Fort William First Nation located close to the power station.
The former coal burning plant has been in limbo since the Ontario government halted its conversion to natural gas to look into cheaper means of delivering power to northwestern Ontario. The decision continues to anger regional leaders.
The City of Thunder Bay and various partners are working to come up with a cost effective plan of action which includes resuming the plant conversion.
The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is urging the Ontario government to keep the Thunder Bay Generating Station operating at full capacity.
They said using an east-west transmission line is susceptible to outages caused by weather events or forest fires. Should the power station be closed, they warn Thunder Bay could see rotating brownouts and blackouts during the winter.
“This would not be acceptable in any other part of the province and is certainly not acceptable here,” said NOMA's Larry Hebert.
