All I Want for Global Wind Day Is A Moratorium

June 15^th is apparently Global Wind Day.

I put some thought, and study, into what to wish for, and not just for myself. From the first entry of this blog I've been examining Ontario electricity system issues, particularly supply and demand metrics.

The IESO site now shows the May global adjustment finalized at an enormous $50.05/MWh, while the average HOEP rate averaged $25.89/MWh. The combined rate, $75.94/MWh, is 17% higher than the rate for May 2010. Nothing I did not know on June 1^st, when I wrote about it, and estimated how much the various generation sources contributed to this escalation in rates that accompanies demand drops.

That is disconcerting in itself. What is more disconcerting is that the Ontario Power Authority has been developing an Intergrated Power System Plan (IPSP), and the stakeholder sessions have indicated absolutely zero interest in dealing with any of the structural issue that continue to hammer Ontario's industrial electricity consumers, as well as the consumers in Ontario. The Mr. Andersen that heads that organization not only has no grasp of the matrix, for supply, when he phoned into the stakeholder sessions it was only to lament the rain in Vancouver. The lesser member of the OPA's million dollar pair,¹ Amir Shalaby, was left to handle the script for the sessions. The man sure knows a lot of numbers. He played the role of our very own Rainman.

I wish them everything the Scarecrow got.

But that's a little unfair, as they have to work with a Supply Mix Directive, and Long Term Electricity Plan (LTEP), from the ministry of energy. The ministry is the one that put out a press release on how great May went. The global adjustment added $498.2 million dollars to Ontario's May electricity bills - a monthly record. But that didn't stop the Ontario government from continuing their ostrich routine as they ignored the devastating price impacts of steadily increasing supply without regard for demand ,by issuing yet another press release ridiculously claiming we benefit from producing far too much power.

It didn't stop the OPA from recently releasing transmission capacity and it is unlikely to stop them from gutting Ontario by contracting more supply nobody needs and few want - nor will it stop them from obfuscating about the negative impacts of wind on nearby residents.

In May 2011, wind production did not exceed export volumes for a single hour.

In May 2011, coal was used to generate about 50,000MWh, which, given 4484MW of coal capacity, is operating at about a 1.6% capacity factor - if we just went by the 4 units with advanced pollution controls, it goes up to 3.7%. As of the end of May the year-to-date figures would be around 5.8% and 13.7%.

As costs continue to skyrocket because an enormous bureaucracy lacks the decency to note we cannot replace a source we seldom use with one we have no idea how to use, I've determined the appropriate Global Wind Day gift for everybody involved in this scheme.

Coal.

1  Page 30 of the OPA's 2010 Annual Report