Orangeville Hydro wins Peak Buster award

Orangeville Citizen
October 23, 2008

Orangeville Hydro wins Peak Buster award 

Orangeville Hydro is one of seven Ontario electric utilities that have won a Peak Buster Award for keeping the summer peak power demands below the provincial average.

Ontario's peak demand for electricity fell by 6% last summer compared to the summer of 2007. Summer is now the peak period for electricity use in Ontario, with air conditioners fueling demand.

In 2008, electricity demand in the province reached a peak of 24,195 megawatts (MW) on June 9th. The 2007 peak of 25,737 MW occurred on June 26th. This 1,542 MW drop in demand is equivalent to 40% of the total capacity of the gigantic Nanticoke coal-fired power pant.

"Ontario's summer peak electricity demand is now at its lowest level since 2004 when it peaked at 23,976 MW," said Jack Gibbons, Chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA). "The drop in demand was due to a combination of a cool summer, the downturn in our economy and energy conservation.

According to Hydro One, for example, approximately one-third of the drop in its demand was due to cooler weather", Mr. Gibbons noted.

The OCAA will be presenting Peak Buster Awards to seven southern Ontario electric utilities and the Northern York Region municipalities that beat the provincial average by achieving demand reductions of 6.12% to 25.02% at the time of the province-wide system peak.

The 2008 peak demand was at 3 p.m. on June 9. At that time, Orangeville Hydro customers were drawing 40.06 megawatts from the Hydro One grid, down from 45.868 MW at the time of the 2007 peak, 4 p.m. on June 26 — a reduction of 12.66 per cent.

The top peak buster was Wasaga Distribution Inc., which used just 16.392 MW at the time of this year's peak, down 25 per cent from the 21.861 MW used during the 2007 peak.