Ontario will import electricity from the United States this winter, even though Premier Doug Ford had threatened in August to halt power exports to the US during the trade dispute, CBC News reports.
The province's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has signed a six-month contract with US-based Alpha Generation for 600 megawatts, starting on 1 November. The operator said the deal is routine planning to cover maintenance and winter peak demand; it did not specify the work, though a multi-year refurbishment of the Pickering nuclear station began in September.
The IESO, which is independent of the provincial government, said Ontario remains a net exporter of power. A Harvard researcher told CBC the contract weakens Ford's position on using electricity as leverage, while an environmental group blamed the government for cancelling clean energy projects.
Source: CBC News
