Wind generation in Ontario rose by more than 60% in 2009 over 2008, Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) reports in its analysis of 2009 data.
Wind output from Ontario's commercial wind farms was 2.3 TWh in 2009. At the same time, output from Ontario's coal-fired plants dropped to 9.8 TWh, down from 23.2 TWh in 2008, and the lowest output in 45 years.
Demand for electricity in Ontario declined in 2009 as a result of the economic recession, conservation efforts and mild weather. Down 6.1% over 2008, demand reached just 139 TWh, its lowest level since 1997. Peak hourly demand rose slightly in 2009 to 24,380 MW, up 185 MW from 2008 but well off the all-time peak demand of 27,005 MW set in 2006.
Although overall output was down across all fuel types, nuclear and hydroelectric production remained fairly stable. Nuclear generation produced 82.5 TWh of energy in 2009, down 1.9 TWh from 2008, while hydroelectric generation produced 38.1 TWh, a drop of 0.2 TWh from the previous year.
SOURCE: Independent Electricity System Operator
