Canada's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) says there should be sufficient supply within Ontario to meet the demand for electricity under normal weather conditions over the next 18 months.

The latest 18-Month Outlook released today reports that more than 4,500 MW of new supply is scheduled to come into, or return to service over the next year and a half. The additional supply includes approximately 3,100 MW of gas-fired generation, 800 MW of nuclear generation, 700 MW of wind capacity and 100 MW of hydroelectric generation. Most of the new supply projects are now under construction with the majority of projects becoming available to produce electricity in the latter half of the period.

"When completed, the new supply will provide generators with additional opportunities to schedule needed maintenance outages, including during the winter months, instead of having to limit maintenance to the spring or fall seasons," said Ken Kozlik, IESO Chief Operating Officer. "This should in turn provide greater assurances that the generation will be available for the high-demand periods during summer."

While the reliability picture is positive over the next 18 months, the IESO cautioned that there may be times when Ontario will need to rely on imports from neighbouring jurisdictions if extreme weather occurs or if generation or transmission equipment problems occur.

The IESO regularly assesses the adequacy and reliability of Ontario's power system as part of its power system and electricity market responsibilities.