2020 APO Addresses Impacts of COVID-19, and Shifting Energy Landscape
December 17, 2020
Ontario’s resource outlook is set to change through the 2020 and 2030s thanks to the combined effects of nuclear retirements, refurbishments and contract expirations. Those are just a few of the factors influencing the province’s electricity landscape, and the IESO’s latest Annual Planning Outlook (APO), a 2022-2040 demand, resource and transmission outlook that helps inform reliability needs.
The APO shows that Ontario demand will remain lower in the short term due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the longer term, however, demand is expected to rebound past levels forecast in the previous APO due to growth in electric vehicles, and in the agricultural and residential sectors. To address capacity needs identified in the APO, new competitive procurement mechanisms for the short, medium and long term are being explored through the IESO’s Resource Adequacy engagement.
For more, read the full APO.