Hydro One is surveying their customers throughout the province and the “survey questions” suggest they are trying to determine where grid upgrades will be required as the push by our politicians for “full electrification” gains speed. The survey asks questions such as, are you planning on purchasing an EV or converting your gas or furnace oil heating system to electric in certain time periods. They require the supply of both your e-mail address as well as your area code which presumably will signal them as to where grid upgrades may be required.
When you purchase that EV you will need a 200-amp service electrical panel for the charger meaning the wires and associated transformers bringing electricity to our homes will need upgrading as well as your homes electrical panel and the latter will cost you a few thousand dollars. Upgrades will be required in places where several homes have purchased EV or added electricity demand to the system.
It seems as if Hydro One is planning for an upcoming future demand increase which will allow them to tell the OEB and the Ontario Ministry of Energy the costs associated with the “electrification” process. In other words, they are reviewing cost/benefit attributes of the conversions mandated by our politicians because “fossil fuels”, in the politician’s minds, are evil and cause global warming!
One would have thought those shining lights we elected Federally and Provincially would have done a cost/benefit study before they considered “full electrification” but perhaps that is too much for us voting minions to expect.
While the Hydro One survey appears directed to just their 1.5 million distribution customers, we should suspect they are also seeking input from all electric distribution companies such as Toronto Hydro, Hydro Ottawa, etc. etc. as electrification will also substantially impact their transmission business.
It is worth noting the following from Hydro One’s 2021 annual financial statement reflecting their impact on ALL electricity ratepayers in the province due to their transmission monopoly: “Hydro One Limited, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is Ontario’s largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with approximately 1.5 million valued customers, approximately $30.4 billion in assets as at December 31, 2021, and annual revenues in 2021 of approximately $7.2 billion.“ Net income (before financing charges and taxes) from Hydro One’s transmission business was $942 million and exceeded distribution net income by $248 million or 24.8%.
Hydro One owns and operates over 30,000 KM of transmission lines (98% of all transmission lines) in the province and delivers the power to 43 local distribution companies (LDC) and 88 large, connected companies. They also operate over 300 transmission stations and 25 cross border connections.
Full electrification will entail billions of dollars of spending for upgrades to those transmission stations and transmission lines should the Provincial and Federal governments continue the push for electrification.
The spending of billions by Hydro One to upgrade Hydro One’s transmission system coupled with the billions spent by the LDC to upgrade their delivery of electricity to your household or business will obviously drive up the cost of each kWh (kilowatt) you consume. At the same time try to imagine the costs of additional “emission free” generation NB: that will need to be added to the grid. The cost of storage (battery and pumped hydro, etc.) more wind and solar generation and perhaps new nuclear and electricity rates will climb even higher.
All one has to do is look at the UK and Europe where spiraling inflation has been mainly driven by rising energy costs and taxpayer subsidies have become the norm in an attempt to keep household residents from freezing in the dark and businesses from closing while various countries run up huge annual fiscal deficits.
We should expect the same here in Ontario and the rest of Canada should our politicians continue on the path to save the world from “climate change”!
Hydro One’s survey should signal our politicians where we may be heading but perhaps that is too much common sense for them to appreciate.
NB: The following is from a recent exchange with the Ontario Ministry of Energy with my observation: NREL, a national laboratory of the US Department of Energy, in their study stated, “Widespread electrification increases 2050 U.S. electricity consumption by 20% and 38% in the medium and high adoption scenarios, respectively and relative to the reference.” For Ontario let’s focus on the “medium scenario! At the end of 2021 IESO reported total grid connected capacity in Ontario was 38,079 MW. If we assume Pickering Nuclear gets approval to extend its life that reflects the need to add 7,600 MW of NEW capacity (20% of 2021 capacity) or 10,600 MW (28%) should Pickering renewal not receive the green light! Please note the study states “consumption” which means both wind and solar plus storage would need to be at least triple that capacity level!
Parker Gallant Energy Perspectives 
Let’s destroy the country to save the planet.
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My cost of heating my home with gas is now ~$900 for the season. Equivalent quantity of electrical energy is ~$6,000, or $30,000 in Europe. I have a 400 A service, but it is not affordable to use it. Enough to fast charge two Teslas at the same time. The political dunderheads have no clues that “Greenhouse gases” only exist in greenhouses. This is proven by the Ideal Gas Law: PV=nRT.
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The more unreliable wind and solar that is put onto the grid, the more fossil fuel backup has to be on standby. Also, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers has long ago authored a report in which is the statement:”…adding wind and solar to Ontario’s grid drives CO2 emissions higher. From 2016 to 2032 as Ontario phases out nuclear capacity to make room for wind and solar, CO2 emissions will double (2013 LTEP data)”. So we are adding to the grid more expensive, non-dispatchible sources of power (wind and solar) which increase emissions in an attempt to decrease emissions? What we are seeing is an illogical policy that feeds money into the pockets of politicians and their friends while increasing the cost of electricity for hard working and unemployed electricity consumers in Ontario. Canada’s contribution to global emissions is 1.6% of the total. How much will a misguided policy in Canada that increases emissions reduce global emissions? Answer- none at all. Nations such as China and India are opening coal mines and burning more coal to produce electricity.
EU nations are now calling nuclear and natural gas “green” energy so that their policy conforms with their need.
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