S
simply Dan
Guest
Couldn't agree with you more. Build the damn thing!
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A
AlvinofDiaspar
Guest
The city's policy and finance committee report:
www.toronto.ca/legdocs/20.../it015.pdf
From p. 4-5:
Portlands Energy Centre Site Plan Application
PEC applied for Site Plan Approval under Section 41 of the Planning Act, which provides the City with a very limited set of tools to meet the goals of the City with respect to achieving the policies of the Secondary Plan. At Council’s direction, City staff in the negotiations with PEC did manage to achieve some benefits consistent with the policies of the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan through settlement of the PEC appeal at the Ontario Municipal Board. These benefits will assist the enhancement of cycling and pedestrian routes as well as the creation of a
water’s edge promenade to and along the south side of the Ship Channel. In addition, PEC agreed to allow a third party to attach solar panels to the PEC plant (subject to specific
conditions).
PEC staff continues to advise that the plant will provide opportunity for connections from the plant for future energy sales of hot water for a hot water based district heating system that could be used to heat up to 3.2 million sq. ft. of living space. The current problem with undertaking this is that at the moment the plant will only provide peaking electricity to bridge the need at times of high demand. Furthermore there is no agreement with any client for the steam or hot water with the result that the required heat exchangers and interconnecting piping are not being installed as they would need to be designed to match the specific needs of the customer.
However, as the plant is a combined cycle facility it can accommodate co-generation without having to modify the mechanics of the plant and could be considered to be as co-generation ready as is prudent from a business perspective at this point.
...
In order for co-generation to work it is essential for there to be a market for the heat generated as part of the overall electrical generation process. The most likely market for this district heat would be the Port Lands community. In accordance with the current planning work being undertaken by the TWRC, residential development within the Port Lands is not expected to be ready for occupancy any earlier than between 2010 and 2012 and this schedule could be even later. This schedule could also accommodate the need for such facilities in the event that the Port Lands area is chosen for the 2015 Expo site. Residential development in both the West Don Lands and the East Bayfront will occur before development within the Port Lands.
The TWRC’s Sustainability Framework calls for district heating and cooling facilities to be constructed and ready for use to support the first areas of residential development. The provision of a district heating power source in a timely fashion to coordinate with this schedule would be instrumental to ensuring the sustainable nature of this development. While the PEC design will be able to accommodate district heating with the installation of additional equipment, this would mean that at least a basic amount of heating supply is available at all times and that a contract is able to be achieved with an energy provider such as Enwave. In the current operational plan the PEC facility is intended to be a peaking facility which would not be conducive to the production of district heating.
AoD
www.toronto.ca/legdocs/20.../it015.pdf
From p. 4-5:
Portlands Energy Centre Site Plan Application
PEC applied for Site Plan Approval under Section 41 of the Planning Act, which provides the City with a very limited set of tools to meet the goals of the City with respect to achieving the policies of the Secondary Plan. At Council’s direction, City staff in the negotiations with PEC did manage to achieve some benefits consistent with the policies of the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan through settlement of the PEC appeal at the Ontario Municipal Board. These benefits will assist the enhancement of cycling and pedestrian routes as well as the creation of a
water’s edge promenade to and along the south side of the Ship Channel. In addition, PEC agreed to allow a third party to attach solar panels to the PEC plant (subject to specific
conditions).
PEC staff continues to advise that the plant will provide opportunity for connections from the plant for future energy sales of hot water for a hot water based district heating system that could be used to heat up to 3.2 million sq. ft. of living space. The current problem with undertaking this is that at the moment the plant will only provide peaking electricity to bridge the need at times of high demand. Furthermore there is no agreement with any client for the steam or hot water with the result that the required heat exchangers and interconnecting piping are not being installed as they would need to be designed to match the specific needs of the customer.
However, as the plant is a combined cycle facility it can accommodate co-generation without having to modify the mechanics of the plant and could be considered to be as co-generation ready as is prudent from a business perspective at this point.
...
In order for co-generation to work it is essential for there to be a market for the heat generated as part of the overall electrical generation process. The most likely market for this district heat would be the Port Lands community. In accordance with the current planning work being undertaken by the TWRC, residential development within the Port Lands is not expected to be ready for occupancy any earlier than between 2010 and 2012 and this schedule could be even later. This schedule could also accommodate the need for such facilities in the event that the Port Lands area is chosen for the 2015 Expo site. Residential development in both the West Don Lands and the East Bayfront will occur before development within the Port Lands.
The TWRC’s Sustainability Framework calls for district heating and cooling facilities to be constructed and ready for use to support the first areas of residential development. The provision of a district heating power source in a timely fashion to coordinate with this schedule would be instrumental to ensuring the sustainable nature of this development. While the PEC design will be able to accommodate district heating with the installation of additional equipment, this would mean that at least a basic amount of heating supply is available at all times and that a contract is able to be achieved with an energy provider such as Enwave. In the current operational plan the PEC facility is intended to be a peaking facility which would not be conducive to the production of district heating.
AoD
C
cdl42
Guest
Brilliant, isn't it? Validate the plant by saying that its waste heat could be used to heat local buildings, but then point out that the plant is being built for use only during peak periods, which are hot summer days when everyone has their Air Conditoners on.
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billonlogan
Guest
Looks like PEC is not the only power generation proposal for port lands....
Link to article
JOANNA LAVOIE
Jul. 20, 2006
Port lands-based paper recycler Cascades Boxboard Group has partnered with Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc. (THES) on a proposal to build a 30-megawatt power co-generation facility at its Commissioners Street plant.
The proposal is in response to the Ontario Power Authority's recently issued request for proposals that seeks up to 1,000 new megawatts of high-efficiency combined heat and power facilities across the province.
Co-generation initiatives like the Cascades/THES proposal, as well as district energy projects, all fall under the provincial agency's future electrical generation plans.
An initial open house about the Cascades/THES proposal was held last week at the South Riverdale Community Health Centre so the community could review the details and ask any preliminary questions of its stakeholders.
"I'm just here basically to learn more about the project and understand the process they'll be going through," said Oliver Jerschow, a member of Urban Startegies' project management team, which was commissioned by the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation to stay on top of all new initiatives in the port lands.
Jerschow said he also attended the open house as an interested Beach resident.
"This will actually help strengthen the electricity grid in this part of Toronto, which is quite important," said Joyce McLean, Toronto Hydro Corporation's director of strategic issues, the parent company of Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc., at the gathering.
"This is also a good fit with Cascades."
McLean, noting this project is completely separate from the controversial Portlands Energy Centre proposal, said one megawatt could be enough power to provide electricity for up to 500 homes.
With Cascades as the host and Toronto Hydro Energy Services as the investor, the project will be a win-win situation, said Tony Wong, Cascades' Toronto mill manager.
"It's a joint effort. We put our heads together, " said Wong, explaining Cascades would also benefit from steam and power generated at the facility. This in turn would help improve his plant's paper recycling process through the closure of the plant's existing boilers.
Cascades currently recycles one half of the city's gray bin paper waste and employs 150 people.
The proposed facility would use natural gas to produce energy for the Toronto electrical grid. Two 15-megawatt gas-fired combustion turbines erected on a one-acre site adjacent to Basin Street would serve as the energy producers.
Jack Simpson THES' vice-president of generation said another advantage of the proposal is its environmentally friendly aspects.
"From our perspective, clean and green projects are important and appropriate for Toronto," said Simpson, whose organization built, owns and operates the wind turbine on the CNE grounds.
"It does a lot of good things here. This will be a very clean and low-emission plant."
At this time, Cascades/THES is embarking upon a study of the environmental effects of the project, a requirement under the Environmental Assessment Act of Ontario and the Environmental Screening Process.
The final bid for the project will be submitted to the Ontario Power Authority next month with the selected proposals announced in October. If chosen, the Cascades/THES project could be under construction by January of 2008.
Link to article
JOANNA LAVOIE
Jul. 20, 2006
Port lands-based paper recycler Cascades Boxboard Group has partnered with Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc. (THES) on a proposal to build a 30-megawatt power co-generation facility at its Commissioners Street plant.
The proposal is in response to the Ontario Power Authority's recently issued request for proposals that seeks up to 1,000 new megawatts of high-efficiency combined heat and power facilities across the province.
Co-generation initiatives like the Cascades/THES proposal, as well as district energy projects, all fall under the provincial agency's future electrical generation plans.
An initial open house about the Cascades/THES proposal was held last week at the South Riverdale Community Health Centre so the community could review the details and ask any preliminary questions of its stakeholders.
"I'm just here basically to learn more about the project and understand the process they'll be going through," said Oliver Jerschow, a member of Urban Startegies' project management team, which was commissioned by the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation to stay on top of all new initiatives in the port lands.
Jerschow said he also attended the open house as an interested Beach resident.
"This will actually help strengthen the electricity grid in this part of Toronto, which is quite important," said Joyce McLean, Toronto Hydro Corporation's director of strategic issues, the parent company of Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc., at the gathering.
"This is also a good fit with Cascades."
McLean, noting this project is completely separate from the controversial Portlands Energy Centre proposal, said one megawatt could be enough power to provide electricity for up to 500 homes.
With Cascades as the host and Toronto Hydro Energy Services as the investor, the project will be a win-win situation, said Tony Wong, Cascades' Toronto mill manager.
"It's a joint effort. We put our heads together, " said Wong, explaining Cascades would also benefit from steam and power generated at the facility. This in turn would help improve his plant's paper recycling process through the closure of the plant's existing boilers.
Cascades currently recycles one half of the city's gray bin paper waste and employs 150 people.
The proposed facility would use natural gas to produce energy for the Toronto electrical grid. Two 15-megawatt gas-fired combustion turbines erected on a one-acre site adjacent to Basin Street would serve as the energy producers.
Jack Simpson THES' vice-president of generation said another advantage of the proposal is its environmentally friendly aspects.
"From our perspective, clean and green projects are important and appropriate for Toronto," said Simpson, whose organization built, owns and operates the wind turbine on the CNE grounds.
"It does a lot of good things here. This will be a very clean and low-emission plant."
At this time, Cascades/THES is embarking upon a study of the environmental effects of the project, a requirement under the Environmental Assessment Act of Ontario and the Environmental Screening Process.
The final bid for the project will be submitted to the Ontario Power Authority next month with the selected proposals announced in October. If chosen, the Cascades/THES project could be under construction by January of 2008.
B
building babel
Guest
Dozens of signs have gone up on my Riverdale street, opposing this. Rarely does a local issue so galvanize public opinion.
B
billonlogan
Guest
BB: i wonder if they were the same people who came knocking on my door last weekend to turn off my air conditioner.
N
nassauone
Guest
Could have been.
What kills me is the Ashbridges area, with all their 'Save the earth' mentaity killed another windmill in that area for (from what I have heard from an investor so his opinon was negatively biased) its uglyness. That and the flashing red light would keep them up at night. So I guess there message should be 'Save the Earth but Save my Volvo first'.
Not happy with burning garbage. Not happy with Gas power. Not happy with wind power.
NIMBY'ism comes in many forms.
What kills me is the Ashbridges area, with all their 'Save the earth' mentaity killed another windmill in that area for (from what I have heard from an investor so his opinon was negatively biased) its uglyness. That and the flashing red light would keep them up at night. So I guess there message should be 'Save the Earth but Save my Volvo first'.
Not happy with burning garbage. Not happy with Gas power. Not happy with wind power.
NIMBY'ism comes in many forms.
A
afransen TO
Guest
The NIMYs in environmentalist clothing... wonderful. I suppose its a good way for them to rationalise opposing any and every project in their area, regardless of benefits.
B
building babel
Guest
I suppose the key phrase is "in their area". In my area the main recent fights are to protect the "half round" Bridgepoint hospital building from demolition and to block this new portlands energy thing. The fact that many citizens think they can have an effect on what happens in the neighbourhood in which they - and not other people - live, isn't all bad, surely?
A
afransen TO
Guest
How will PEC negatively impact your neighbourhood, though? Gas-fired powerplants are extremely clean. The negatives are CO_2 emissions (global impact), and the fact that its a waste of prime real-estate (extremely local). I can't see any reason to oppose it, for residents in the area. Perhaps rather than building PEC, hydro rates should triple in the area.
U
unimaginative2
Guest
That's what I don't get: how is this prime real estate? The city, which is screaming about the terrible use of the land, has proposed in its own plans to locate a "campus" of cement factories immediately adjacent to the PEC site.
M
Mark Dowling
Guest
not so much nimby as bananas...
A
AlvinofDiaspar
Guest
From the Star, GTA section:
Hydro ends bid in port-lands energy project
Partner will continue proposal on its own
Residents unhappy with competitor
Jul. 28, 2006. 01:00 AM
JOHN SPEARS
CITY HALL BUREAU
Toronto Hydro has pulled out of a partnership to build a gas-fired electricity-generating plant in the old Hearn generating station in the city's port-lands area.
That leaves Baltimore-based Constellation Energy on its own in the proposal. Bill Leedy, who heads Constellation's bid for the project and is in Toronto this week working on the plan, said in an interview the project is "very much alive."
But Dave O'Brien, chief executive of Toronto Hydro, said it's clear that a rival project has won the contest. That's the 550-megawatt plan from Portlands Energy Centre, a partnership between Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) and TransCanada Corp.
Portlands Energy Centre is currently negotiating an agreement with the Ontario Power Authority to buy the output from its plant. The power authority is not negotiating with Constellation.
"It's pretty clear that OPG's going to do this thing," O'Brien said. "The decision was made and we've got to get our guys doing other things."
Toronto Hydro is still interested in new generating projects if the right opportunities come along, O'Brien said.
Constellation and Toronto Hydro had proposed a 291-megawatt facility to be located inside the idle Richard L. Hearn plant. Coupled with their proposal was a plan to reduce demand through conservation measures and programs to curb power consumption during peak periods.
The Portlands Energy Centre proposal involves constructing a new building just east of the Hearn plant. The Hearn's future is cloudy. Owned by OPG, it's leased to a movie studio, but some politicians want to tear it down for parks or playing fields.
The area is also sensitive because it's in the midst of the site where Toronto wants to hold the 2015 World's Fair.
East-end residents and politicians have fought the Portlands Energy Centre plan, arguing that it's too big and doesn't use the most efficient technology. They also say it will further pollute air in the city's east end.
But other officials have warned that it's needed to give Toronto a secure energy supply.
Jan Carr, chief executive of the power authority, warned in May that Toronto is "walking into the valley of death" if the 550-megawatt Portlands Energy Centre project isn't built.
The Independent Electricity System Operator has also warned that Toronto's electricity supply is stretched — a situation that could lead to rolling blackouts by 2008 if new supply isn't added.
The plant was a central issue in a provincial by-election this spring in Toronto-Danforth in which New Democratic Party candidate Peter Tabuns — who opposed Portlands Energy Centre — won over Liberal candidate Ben Chin, a supporter.
Bill Leedy, of Constellation, acknowledged that the issue has become immersed in politics.
"It's become very much a political process between the interest of the province and the interest of the city," he said. "It's a question of the political process running its course."
Toronto council has endorsed the Hydro-Constellation bid, saying any power plant in the port lands should be inside the Hearn station.
AoD
Hydro ends bid in port-lands energy project
Partner will continue proposal on its own
Residents unhappy with competitor
Jul. 28, 2006. 01:00 AM
JOHN SPEARS
CITY HALL BUREAU
Toronto Hydro has pulled out of a partnership to build a gas-fired electricity-generating plant in the old Hearn generating station in the city's port-lands area.
That leaves Baltimore-based Constellation Energy on its own in the proposal. Bill Leedy, who heads Constellation's bid for the project and is in Toronto this week working on the plan, said in an interview the project is "very much alive."
But Dave O'Brien, chief executive of Toronto Hydro, said it's clear that a rival project has won the contest. That's the 550-megawatt plan from Portlands Energy Centre, a partnership between Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) and TransCanada Corp.
Portlands Energy Centre is currently negotiating an agreement with the Ontario Power Authority to buy the output from its plant. The power authority is not negotiating with Constellation.
"It's pretty clear that OPG's going to do this thing," O'Brien said. "The decision was made and we've got to get our guys doing other things."
Toronto Hydro is still interested in new generating projects if the right opportunities come along, O'Brien said.
Constellation and Toronto Hydro had proposed a 291-megawatt facility to be located inside the idle Richard L. Hearn plant. Coupled with their proposal was a plan to reduce demand through conservation measures and programs to curb power consumption during peak periods.
The Portlands Energy Centre proposal involves constructing a new building just east of the Hearn plant. The Hearn's future is cloudy. Owned by OPG, it's leased to a movie studio, but some politicians want to tear it down for parks or playing fields.
The area is also sensitive because it's in the midst of the site where Toronto wants to hold the 2015 World's Fair.
East-end residents and politicians have fought the Portlands Energy Centre plan, arguing that it's too big and doesn't use the most efficient technology. They also say it will further pollute air in the city's east end.
But other officials have warned that it's needed to give Toronto a secure energy supply.
Jan Carr, chief executive of the power authority, warned in May that Toronto is "walking into the valley of death" if the 550-megawatt Portlands Energy Centre project isn't built.
The Independent Electricity System Operator has also warned that Toronto's electricity supply is stretched — a situation that could lead to rolling blackouts by 2008 if new supply isn't added.
The plant was a central issue in a provincial by-election this spring in Toronto-Danforth in which New Democratic Party candidate Peter Tabuns — who opposed Portlands Energy Centre — won over Liberal candidate Ben Chin, a supporter.
Bill Leedy, of Constellation, acknowledged that the issue has become immersed in politics.
"It's become very much a political process between the interest of the province and the interest of the city," he said. "It's a question of the political process running its course."
Toronto council has endorsed the Hydro-Constellation bid, saying any power plant in the port lands should be inside the Hearn station.
AoD
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unimaginative2
Guest
That's ridiculous. It's nowhere near the "midst" of the Expo site. That would be located way to the west along the harbour waterfront. Like I said, this area is to become a "Concrete Campus," a collection of cement factories, according to the city's own plans.
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Mark Dowling
Guest
I wonder if TH's pull back has anything to do with the recent rumblings about the city cashing in the $900+m loan and thus a need to conserve capital?