Ontario power producer plans to increase Toronto gas plant output, but critics worry about impact

An Ontario power producer outlined plans on Thursday to increase output at a gas plant in Toronto, but critics say the proposed upgrades aren't needed and energy should be focused on greener alternatives instead.

Atura Power, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, operates the Portlands Energy Centre (PEC), a 550-megawatt natural gas electrical generating station near Toronto's waterfront. The plant, operating since 2009, is located on Villiers Island.

On Thursday evening, the company hosted a virtual public consultation meeting about its planned upgrades. Atura Power explained its plans before answering a series of questions by members of the public.

Atura Power officials told the meeting that upgrades to the plant would result in a 50-megawatt increase in its electrical output.

"The upgrades will be limited to replacing parts of the existing natural gas-fired combustion turbines with more efficient parts during a regular maintenance cycle and will result in an increase in output capacity to 600 megawatts," the company said.

"All upgrades will take place within the existing facility and there will be no changes or expansion beyond the existing PEC footprint."

Officials said the upgrades would not increase the plant's greenhouse gas emissions.

Jack Gibbons, chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a non-profit organization, told CBC Radio's Metro Morning earlier on Thursday that the upgrade would result in the province relying more on gas-generated energy at a time when it should be moving away from it.

"The Portlands gas plant is Toronto's single largest greenhouse gas polluter. It produces as much pollution as 133,000 cars," Gibbons said.

Ramping up its output is "going in absolutely the wrong direction when the planet is on fire," he added. "We've got much cleaner and and lower cost options to keep our lights on."

Gibbons blamed Ontario Premier Doug Ford for the reliance on gas plants, saying their output has more than doubled in the province since he came to power.

"He's refusing to to invest in wind and solar, which could allow us to phase out our gas-fired power plants. And instead he's ramping up the gas-fired power plants, producing more smog and producing more greenhouse gas pollution that that is causing dangerous climate change," he said.

"We need to be phasing out gas power and not building and not expanding gas-fired generation capacity," he added. "It doesn't make sense to ramp up gas-fired generation when we've got cleaner and lower cost alternatives."

Keith Brooks, programs director at Environmental Defence, said in an interview on Thursday that he's concerned about plans to expand the capacity of the plant and to extend its contract.