Ontario wholesale electricity prices go negative

Is this why Toronto blazes at night.....to consume the unused power?
Eric

Ontario’s wholesale spot market electricity price was negative for 214 hours between March 24 and April 19, 2009 according to information provided to the Ontario Clean Air Alliance today by the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator. During this period the average negative price was approximately - 1 cent per kWh; however prices fell to - 5.1 cents per kWh on March 29^th.

Negative wholesale prices mean that large volume customers in Ontario (e.g., Imperial Oil, Inco) and the U.S.A. are paid to consume our electricity.

Negative wholesale prices are due to the fact that our inflexible CANDU nuclear reactors are not able to reduce their output as demand declines.

Please pass this message on to your friends.

Thank you.

Jessica Fracassi, Communications & Membership Director
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
402-625 Church St, Toronto M4Y 2G1
Phone: 416-926-1907 ext. 245
Fax: 416-926-1601
Email: jessica@cleanairalliance.org
Website: www.cleanairalliance.org
Website: www.OntariosGreenFuture.ca

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The Ontario Clean Air Alliance is a diverse, multi-stakeholder coalition of approximately 90 organizations including cities, health associations, environmental and public interest groups, corporations, public utilities, unions, faith communities and individuals. The OCAA’s short term goal is to achieve the complete phase out of Ontario’s four coal-fired power plants by 2010. Our long term goal is to ensure that all of our electricity needs are met by ecologically sustainable renewable sources. Our partner organizations represent more than six million Ontarians.

Interested in volunteering with the OCAA? Please contact Angela Bischoff at angela@cleanairalliance.org, 416-926-1907 ext. 246.

Sign our petition: http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/petition.php.