On July 16th, the City of Toronto experienced heavy rain and flooding that caused significant disruptions. Major roadways were shut, transit lines were closed, and thousands of homes were extensively damaged. The flooding also knocked out power, leaving thousands of Torontonians in the dark.
During this crisis, Atura Power’s Portlands Energy Centre was instrumental in reducing the impact of the power outage. It helped restore electricity to more than 160,000 customers at the peak of the event.
Most of Toronto’s electricity is supplied by facilities outside the city. The Portlands Energy Centre, is the only electricity-producing facility within the city. It is a 550-megawatt natural gas-fired generating station near Toronto’s eastern waterfront,
When the storm hit, electricity supply from the Manby Transmission Station failed, causing a blackout in west Toronto. With Manby down, only the Leaside Transmission Station was available. Leaside, however, doesn’t have adequate capacity to meet the city’s electricity needs. Atura Power’s Portlands Energy Centre was able to help fill the gap. It supplied downtown Toronto with uninterrupted power until Manby was restored to operation on July 19th.
The July 16th flooding underscores the importance of Portlands Energy Centre’s flexible and dispatchable electricity to Toronto’s electricity system. It can be ramped up in all weather conditions, especially during periods of peak demand, and when other power sources aren’t available.
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