No one could miss the new Halton Hills natural gas fired power plant on Steeles/ 401. This photo does not do justice to the immenseness of this building. It is a 683 megawatt peaker plant meaning that it will operate when the need is the highest for electricity. It will likely run only during the daytime and evenings from Monday to Friday.You may have heard about the fight happening in Oakville over a similar power plant proposed for beside the Ford Assembly Plant. The Halton Hills plant is about a third smaller. The Oakville plant is to be much closer to residential areas than the Halton Hills Plant. Both plants are projects of Transcanada Energy.
Commissioning of the Halton Hills Plant is underway. The pipes have been cleaned out which caused the massive steam plumes that were visible for miles.
I recently saw a resolution from the City of Guelph asking the provincial government to convert the new gas fired plants to full time in order to more quickly phase out the coal plants. What is your opinion of that initiative?
At this time Halton Hills Council has not supported the resolution.
Yes, natural gas is cleaner than coal, so keep it fired up longer and presumably reduce net provincial carbon emissions.
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