[I am Peter Dick, a P. Eng…

[I am Peter Dick, a P. Eng. who worked for the Research Division of Ontario Hydro, then Kinectrics, retiring in 2005 and consulting since then in the area of electrical safety with regard to generation, substations, lines and cables. I support the need to move away from fossil fuels. I find the IESO report Pathways to Decarbonization credible, including the $ 400 B cost. Space heating, water heating, electric vehicles, carbon free transit, and high speed rail could easily triple the amount of electrical power that needs to be generated. I note that the fixed formatting in your comment window makes it difficult to differentiate between your questions and my responses. I will use square braces for my input.]

1. The IESO’s Pathways Study recommends streamlining regulatory, approval and permitting processes, citing that it can take five to 10 years to site new clean generation and transmission infrastructure.

[I expect the tight timeframes will require that the Environmental Registry of Ontario, the OEB and the IESO will need to report to, and be managed by, a single stakeholder. This will require new legislation.]

2. The IESO’s Pathways Study recommends beginning work on planning and siting for new resources like new long-lived energy storage (e.g., pump storage), nuclear generation and waterpower facilities.

[Public and indigenous consultation will need to be streamlined, including appeals. The judiciary may support this if they see decarbonisation as a major societal effort requiring emergency powers.]

3. The IESO’s Pathways Study shows that natural gas-fired generation will need to continue to play an important role in the system for reliability in the short to medium term. The IESO’s assessment shows that most of the projected Ontario demand in 2035 can be met with the build out of non-emitting sources, but some natural gas will still be required to address local needs and provide the services necessary to operate the system reliably.

[We need to apply scarce capital to areas that most efficiently reduce carbon. Gas fired generation is a small contributor relative to fossil fueled cars, trucks and relatively cheap air fares. Also I find the IESO report credible in stating that the GTA will require some local gas-fired generation to support grid voltage, frequency stability and grid resilience.]

4. The IESO’s Pathways Study highlights emerging investment needs in new electricity infrastructure due to increasing electricity demand over the outlook of the study. The IESO pathway assessment illustrates a system designed to meet projected demand peaks almost three times the size of today by 2050, at an estimated capital cost of $375 billion to $425 billion, in addition to the current system and committed procurements. Please see supporting materials for illustrative charts on capacity factor and cost by resource type.

[We had a cheap ride with fossil for the last 100 years. In addition, users will have to spend capital on heat pumps and more expensive electric vehicles. We will learn to live with less.]

5. The IESO’s Pathways Study recommends that for a zero-emissions grid by 2050, investment and innovation in hydrogen (or other low-carbon fuels) capacity could be required to replace the flexibility that natural gas currently provides the electricity system.

[Hydrogen leaks out of pipes and storage tanks. Making it is expensive. The hydrogen economy has found only very small niches although having been promoted for 50 years. Dramatic breakthroughs may not occur.]

6. The IESO’s Pathways Study recommends greater investment in new non-emitting supply, including energy efficiency programs.

[Electricity may well double in price. Users will choose more efficient products in order to save.]

7. The IESO’s Pathways Study includes a scenario for over 650 MW of new large hydroelectric capacity to meet system needs in 2050.

[Hydraulic generation appears to last longer than other types. However Site C and Muskrat Falls show there are long lead times and financial risk.]

8. The IESO’s Pathways Study suggest that significant transmission capacity will be needed to help balance intermittent sources of electricity (e.g., wind and solar) and to ensure cost-effective supply can be delivered to meet growing demands from electrification and economic growth.

[Parts of Southern Ontario do not have siting for new lines. Existing 2-circuit towers will need to be replaced by 4-circuit towers. Unfortunately these will be higher and visually obtrusive.]

9. Do you have any additional feedback on the IESO’s “no-regret” recommendations?

[Flexibility in building out the system will be key. Our society may fail in achieving decarbonization goals by 2050, allowing upgrades to the electrical power system more time.]