Ontario Could Face Energy Outages This Summer

By Alex Kerai

Last updated 09 June 2023

WhistleOut fast facts

A new report from North American Electric Reliability identifies Ontario as a high-risk area for energy shortages.
Ontario would need to import energy from neighboring areas, but some connections are down for the year.
Heat waves—which are already impacting Canada—could put a strain on the electrical grid.
Ontario includes the capital of Canada and over one-third of Canada’s population. An energy shortage could impact the government and the economy.

A new report from North American Electric Reliability (NERC) looks at areas across North America—including three regional areas for Canada—and has determined that Ontario could face energy outages this summer due to excessive heat and a limited supply of energy for consumers.

Ontario is in a period where power generation and transmission outages will continue for the “foreseeable future,” according to the NERC report. The province, which includes the capital Ottawa and over one-third of the country’s population, could face outages this summer that would impact government work, tourism, and the province’s economy.

Ontario has low anticipated resources for the summer due to reduced power connections to other provinces and anticipated extreme heat. Plus, recent retirements and refurbishments of power stations “will make it difficult to accommodate unplanned generator or transmission outages,” according to the NERC. Ontario’s planned resources and reserves have dropped year-over-year, making the prospect of outages higher than most summers.

“Ontario is the only province in Canada that is rated an elevated risk that it can’t meet peak demand,” Peter Tabuns, a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, told The Ontario Star in response to the ERC report.

Meanwhile, Tabuns noted climate change means “we’re going to see more extreme weather that increases the chance we’ll have outages.”

“We are preparing for tighter grid conditions that could develop if the province experiences extreme heat waves — this is similar to last summer and is the new norm for Ontario and many jurisdictions around North America,” said Andrew Dow of the Independent Electricity System Operator, which provides Ontario’s electricity.

What is a power grid outage?

A grid outage is when there is no longer energy to distribute to grid customers. In the case of Ontario, it would be if the grid has to operate on high due to extreme heat (and people using air conditioners and so on) and then runs out of energy.

The Ontario grid outage is predicted for the summer because the heat will cause a demand and supply imbalance, with more people needing energy to stay cool in the heat.

If the power grid runs out of power for customers, then there is an interruption of service. There probably will not be enough planning time for rolling blackouts or energy conservation—although certain areas have done that in the past, notably California, during extreme heat.

Power grid disruptions can also lead to disrupted Internet and cell phone service. A grid outage would immediately impact internet service as there is no power to the grid, and WiFi would go down. However, cell phone service could still work if carriers have backup generators.

Mobile devices should work during a power outage, but they’ll need a battery, and you shouldn’t waste the charge. You can also use a backup generator or hand crank to keep devices charged and working during outages.

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