Sarah Williams
For the Beaver
On Oct. 24, Town of Greater Napanee Council received another deputation regarding a battery energy storage system (BESS) in the area. The deputation was made by Tom Patterson on behalf of Atura Power regarding Phase 2 of the Napanee Battery Energy Storage System and the Napanee Generating Station Expansion.
The presentation was made in hopes of obtaining council’s support ahead of the Independent Energy System Operator’s (IESO) procurement deadline in December.
Atura Power is a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation and they own and operate Ontario largest fleet of combined-cycle gas turbine power plants.
In attendance was Tom Patterson, Vice President of Energy Markets and Electricity Growth at Atura Power, Julie Parker, Project Manager with Atura, and Kevin Hoag, Senior Business Development Officer at Atura.
“We are interested in de-carbonization in the wider economy,” began Patterson. “What’s really important to us is our relationship with host communities.”
Patterson added that Atura has donated more than $250,000 to organizations in 2022 and 2023 through the Community Development Fund. These include: Lennox & Addington County Hospital Foundation, UEL Heritage Centre and Park, and Napanee Crunch Female Hockey Association.
“Energy storage allows for shifting of excess clean energy and allows that to be put back on the grid during times of high demand,” explained Patterson.
He also explained that Ontario has the unique benefit of a diverse supply of resources, from solar to wind. In fact, according to Atura’s presentation, Ontario has been 94 per cent emissions free since eliminating coal fired generation in 2014.
Patterson confirmed Atura’s first order of business is the Napanee Generating Station expansion. This project would add a hydrogen-ready simple cycle combustion turbine generator unit. To be located within the existing Lennox Generating Station boundary, the expansion will use existing infrastructure. Ultimately, this project will result in 450MW of electricity output.
Regarding the proposed BESS, with the IESO procurement date fast approaching , the company hopes to begin construction in 2025, should they be awarded a contract. The BESS would not be operational until 2027.
This system will use Lithium-ion battery units and contain 250 MW of electricity storage and output for up to four hours. The proposed project would be on the same property as the Napanee BESS Phase 1 project east of the Napanee Generation Station.
In his closing statement, Patterson referred to a letter of opposition in the agenda and noted he would be responding to this.
“I want to make sure that all council get a response back to the letter of opposition. I think we should do justice to all parties concerned,” said councillor Michael Schenk.
Mayor Terry Richardson informed the representatives from Atura that staff will be directed to return with a report regarding Atura’s request for support during the Nov. 14th Regular Council Meeting.
The letter opposing Atura’s BESS proposal was penned by resident Marg Connor. Connor cited several concerns pertaining to the potential for BESS failures and the pollution of drinking water.
“This BESS facility will be located on the site of a 900MW gas-fired power plant alongside a neighboring 2100MW gas/oil plant. An uncontrolled BESS facility fire or explosion thus could have potential catastrophic effects if the adjacent two power plants became involved,” wrote Connor. “Gas power plants can be highly explosive as was seen in a 2010 620MW gas-fired power plant explosion in Middleton, Connecticut. This unfinished power plant explosion killed six persons, injured 20 and caused damage to homes up to five kilometre away.”
Connor also noted the drinking water intake for Napanee is close to the proposed BESS and could be compromised in the event of a system failure.
“Lastly, the A.L Dafoe drinking water intake protection zone is located in front of the Lennox Generating Station on Lake Ontario. Napanee drinking water could be adversely affected by battery system failure on the neighboring waterfront Atura property,” expressed Connor.
-On a lighter note, resident Donald Stokes brought a community-minded fundraising proposal to council. Stokes argued his proposal, the Great Lakes Surf and Turf BBQ Competition, would fill a much-needed void since local fundraisers have dwindled in recent years.
“At one time crowded streets in May were routine for Napanee’s fabled walleye fishing tournament, which was a pioneer in its category,” said Stokes. “Later a Napanee Waterfront Festival, featuring, music, food and activity, became a summertime event, which is now done in the early fall with a different format. This has left an absence of events, which to me is a possible community fundraising opportunity in waiting.”
Stokes hails from Hope, B.C., where he introduced a successful community fundraising known as the Great Fraser River Salmon BBQ Competition.
“This competition ran successfully as a community fundraiser in what was called a sampling event. It grew to 2000 people with a shoestring budget. Visitors came from as far away as Oregon, Washington state and Vancouver Island,” explained Stokes.
Given the amount of planning required for a fundraiser of this magnitude, Stokes suggested hosting the first Surf and Turf event next August.
“Money raised would be going back into the community, into different things that are maybe not able to be covered. This could be anything from a washroom to, perhaps, a pool,” said Stokes.
Stokes commitment would be to run this event for three years and then transfer it to “some type of community group”.
My commitment would be to do this for three years and transfer it over to some type of community group with it being set up to survive on its own so it requires minimum grants.
Stokes is hopeful they can charge $3 per sample and notes this is a dollar more than was charged when he ran the Salmon BBQ Competition in B.C. several years ago.
“I think this is an excellent idea. We used to have a chili competition and it was very well attended,” noted Schenk.
Deputy mayor Brian Calver inquired as to whether Stokes would help with the transition of the event to a service club.
“Absolutely… part of that would be coming up with what I call the playbook,” replied Stokes.
Ultimately, the fundraising opportunity will be relayed to the recreation committee to “iron out the details” and will be brought back to council.
-In other council news, an incident with an ancient boiler has been causing St. Mary Magdalene Church nothing but grief. The boiler malfunctioned and they are now burdened with exorbitant utility bills. Speaking to this was Bill Russell and Chris Yeomans
“Back in late June we had a problem with the boiler in the church and we had water flowing through the boiler system and then, the valves stopped. So, up until August 30th water was flowing freely through there,” explained Russell.
Russell also explained the boiler is in a separate room accessible only from the outside.
“The boiler room is not used for anything else. Nobody is in there from May or June until September when it’s fired up again,” he added. “Water in the system continued flowing and as a result we came into three time periods of billing. It is very expensive.”
Russell and Yeomans are hopeful the town will provide some relief for their costly bills.
“The purpose of the deputation is to request relief on the water bill overages in the time of repair. Relief being the difference between the average bill and the amount in recent months due to repairs, which is approximately $3,800 over the 6-month period,” said Russell.
Yeoman’s noted the church is not “flush with cash” and relies on the money they do have to continue their good Samaritan ventures.
“We aren’t flush with cash. We try to be good citizens and the money we do have tries to go to help. An unanticipated expense puts a hardship on us,” said Yeomans.
Schenk noted that, in the past, certain applicants came before council seeking sewage bill relief.
“I was on council when we had this policy and the point is I think it’s only fair,” Schenk expressed. “Financially things are only getting harder.”
Calver directed staff to come back to council with a report outlining options for providing relief.
-Lastly, the Town of Greater Napanee has declared Nov. 16, 2023 as Louis Riel Day. The Métis flag will be raised on this day.
The request for this proclamation was put forth by Jonathon Marconi, Highland Water Métis Council President.
“Louis Riel was the great Métis leader executed by the Canadian government for leading the Northwest Resistance in defense of Métis rights and the Métis way-of-life. Every year Louis Riel Day is held to remember what Riel sacrificed and renew the commitment to complete his work,” said Marconi. “In Ontario, the Métis struggled to protect their rights, communities, and families. The MNO celebrates Louis Riel Day to recognize the many contributions of the Métis to Canada and to highlight the challenges that Métis continue to face.”