Distributed Generation and the Future of Ontario’s Electricity Grid

October 26-27, 2008

Waterloo, Ontario

Distributed Generation and the Furture of Ontario's Electricity Grid

Energy, and in particular electrical energy, is central to Ontario’s standard of living. Indeed, access to affordable and reliable electricity separates the rich from the poor of the world. In the future, it is reasonable to project that access to not only affordable and reliable electricity, but also environmentally sustainable electricity will separate successful from failed communities.

The model of electricity production that has been successful for Ontario and countless other communities, has been to exploit the powerful economies of scale of large-scale centralized generation plants and to transport that energy to customers over a vast network of high and low voltage electricity transmission and distribution wires.

This model has enormous cost advantages. Yet it is increasingly being stressed by popular rejection of both large-scale generating plants in some communities and, perhaps far more importantly, public opposition to the construction of interlocking transmission and distribution lines across the entire province. Moreover, First Nations have become much more actively involved in the development of Ontario’s electricity system; and any future development must take the interests of these communities into account.

Is this traditional model still viable? Are there purely regulatory barriers that need to be streamlined? Can they be streamlined, while still being rigorous, open, transparent, and unbiased? These questions need open and thoughtful review.

Alternatively, is there another model? Energy security is an ambition that need not be limited to nation states or regions. It is every community’s dream, perhaps every person’s dream, to be self-sufficient in the production of such a crucial input to prosperity as electrical energy. Typically, discussion of this ambition comes under the general heading of “distributed generation”.

The central questions for distributed generation are ones of cost, reliability, and environmental impact. Are distributed generation technologies available at an affordable price? Are they reliable and environmentally acceptable? If not, why not? Are there barriers which are purely regulatory and therefore subject to policy change? These are the central questions that must be addressed if any alternative electricity future is to be embraced by public policy.

The Council for Clean & Reliable Energy, Queen’s University Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy, and the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy partnered in presenting the conference dedicated to addressing these critical questions. In a world of so much international uncertainty, the answers are crucial to Ontario’s prospects for continued prosperity.

Glen Wright
Glen Wright, Chair
Council for Clean & Reliable Energy
Jatin Nathwani
Jatin Nathwani
Executive Director WISE,
University of Waterloo
Bryne Purchase
Bryne Purchase
Executive Director,
Queen’s University Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy

Agenda and Presenters

News Release

Keynote Speakers

George Smitherman
Hon. George Smitherman
Deputy Premier of Ontario
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure
John Kim Bell
John Kim Bell
President and CEO
Bell and Bernard Ltd.

Presentations

Panel Presentations

Ontario’s Transmission Requirements
Distributed Generation and Ontario’s Transmission Requirements: Ken Kozlik, Chief Operating Officer, IESO (PDF)
New Issues in Regulatory Treatment of Transmission Requirements: George Vegh, McCarthy Tétrault (PDF)
Power System Requirements and Distributed Generation Within Ontario: Joe Toneguzzo, Director, Implementation and Policies, Ontario Power Authority (PDF)

Regulatory and Political Constraints
Distributed Generation – Regulatory and Political Constraints: Mike Richmond, McMillan Binch Mendelsohn, Partner and Co-Chair, Energy Law (PDF)
Distributed Generation in the Ontario Regulatory Context: James C. Sidlofsky, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais, Chair, Distributed Generation Task Force (PDF)
Energy Projects in Ontario – Aboriginal Consultation: Paul H. Manning, Willms & Shier, Environmental Lawyers (PDF)

Distributed Generation and LDCs
Distributed Generation Resources – Promises and Potential: Prof. Jatin Nathwani, Executive Director, WISE (PDF)
Plasco Conversion System Distributed Generation – Bradley Smith, Vice President, Business Development, Plasco Energy Group Inc. (PDF)
Distributed Generation – The Prospects and Problems as Seen by the LDC: Rene W. Gatien, President and CEO, Waterloo North Hydro Inc. (PDF)

Transmission Distribution Systems Futures?
Technical and Commercial Factors in Developing Tomorrow’s Grid: Jan Carr, Corporate Director and former CEO, Ontario Power Authority (PDF)
Remarks by Don MacKinnon, President, Power Workers’ Union (PDF)
Whither/Wither Ontario’s Power Grid: Steve Dorey, Vice-President, External Relations, Hydro One Networks Inc. (PDF)
The Need for Smart Grid Technologies in Ontario – Why we need solutions that enable DG: Robert Stasko, Director, Business Development, Ontario Centre of Excellence for Energy(PDF)

Reports

Expediting Regulatory Approvals: Understanding Key Issues for Renewable Energy Projects: Paul Manning and Jennifer Agnolin, Willms & Shier, Environmental Lawyers LLP (PDF)

Supporters

Open Text
Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy
Power Workers' Union
Stantec
Kitchener Waterloo Hydro
Borden Ladner Gervais
Plasco Energy Group
Ontario Centre for Excellence
Growling WLG
Waterloo North Hydro
Energy Plus Inc.
Bridgepoint Group Ltd
Queens University

Conferences

Technology Innovation & Policy Forum 2018
Unlocking Energy Innovation for a ‘Low Cost-Low Carbon’ Economy

The Council for Clean & Reliable Energy (CCRE) in partnership with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, a leading Canadian innovation centre at the University of Waterloo, hosted its third annual Technology Innovation and Policy Forum on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. This important event brought together policy makers, technology innovators, leading researchers, and entrepreneurs. Forum

Read More »

Technology Innovation & Policy Forum 2017
Disruptive Innovation Over the Wires- Business Models for Success

The Council for Clean & Reliable Energy (CCRE) in partnership with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), a leading innovation centre at the University of Waterloo, hosted its annual Technology Innovation and Policy Forum on Thursday, November 9, 2017. The annual event brought together technology developers and innovators, leading researchers and entrepreneurs, industry thought

Read More »

Technology Innovation & Policy Forum 2016
Microgrids and Distributed Energy: Is there a revolution in the making?

The Council for Clean & Reliable Energy (CCRE) in partnership with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), a leading innovation centre at the University of Waterloo, hosted its annual Technology Innovation and Policy Forum on Thursday, November 24, 2016. The inaugural event brought together technology developers and innovators, leading researchers and entrepreneurs, industry thought

Read More »