Ontario’s government sees BESS as essential to its energy transition goals. These systems are critical in managing renewable energy and stabilizing the power grid, helping the province reduce its dependence on fossil fuels while achieving environmental and economic objectives.

• Provincial Energy Goals: Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan highlights BESS as a key technology for integrating renewable energy sources into the grid.
• Economic Growth and Innovation: Investments in BESS foster job creation and innovation, positioning Ontario as a leader in renewable energy.

BESS will enhance energy reliability, provide economic benefits, and directly support local infrastructure through the creation of a Community Development Fund. This fund will prioritize investments in projects that matter most to the community, led by a local steering committee.

• Energy Reliability: BESS strengthens the local energy grid, ensuring stable electricity supply during peak demand periods, reducing the risk of power outages.
• Community Development Fund: A fund will be established, managed by local community members, to invest in key projects such as schools, recreational facilities, or other community infrastructure.

BESS play a crucial role in environmental sustainability by storing excess renewable energy for later use, reducing the need for fossil fuels. These systems undergo rigorous environmental assessments to ensure compliance with regulations and to minimize disruption to local ecosystems.

• Renewable Energy Integration: BESS enable the efficient storage of renewable energy, allowing it to be used during peak demand and reducing the overall carbon footprint.
• Environmental Assessments: Each BESS project is subjected to strict environmental reviews to ensure that it complies with all relevant regulations and minimizes its impact on the local environment.

While lithium-ion batteries can pose a fire risk due to thermal runaway, BESS facilities are designed with advanced fire suppression systems and early detection technologies. The BESS in West Carleton will fully adhere to all city safety regulations, bylaws and the most current industry best practices ensuring the highest level of community protection.

• Fire Suppression Systems: These systems are equipped with state-of-the-art clean agent suppression technology to control any potential fire risks.
• Thermal Runaway Prevention: Early detection systems are designed to monitor and prevent thermal runaway by identifying signs of overheating and cooling the battery cells before they become hazardous.
• Exceeding Safety Standards: The BESS in West Carleton will meet or exceed all safety requirements set by local regulations, providing full compliance with fire and safety bylaws. Additional new technology safety considerations for active ventilation are being implemented for explosion prevention to protect emergency responders.

Some noise can be expected during the battery’s operations, which will not exceed 40 decibels at the nearest residence.

In Ontario, there are several Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects either operational or in development. Many are smaller in size, ranging from 20-40 MWh, but there are significant large-scale projects worth highlighting:

• Oneida Energy Storage Project: A 250 MW/1,000 MWh facility under construction in Jarvis, ON.
• Hagersville Project: A 300 MW facility.
• Napanee Project: A 265 MW facility.
• York BESS: A 120 MW facility.

These projects were awarded contracts during the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) earlier Requests for Proposals (RFPs) announced this year.

For a comprehensive list of awarded projects, you can refer to the IESO’s published results:

• E-LT1 RFP Selected Proponents
• LT1 RFP Results Table

Our parent company, Brookfield Renewable, currently operates BESS facilities in the United States, with additional larger facilities under construction. These projects demonstrate our ongoing commitment to renewable energy and advanced storage solutions.

When will this be constructed?

If awarded a contract from the IESO, it would start in May 2028 and last 20 years. At the end of the 20-year contract, we will explore repowering or decommissioning the facility. To repower and extend the life of the Project, we would need to obtain another contract from the IESO. If, however, there was no longer a need for the system, we would remove the batteries and remediate the site.

Battery modules would be removed from the containers and transported to recycling facilities. At the facilities, the batteries would be recycled to recover valuable materials such as lithium carbonate, copper and aluminum. Recycling processes are being developed which recycle lithium-iron phosphate batteries, as well as other lithium-ion chemistries used more commonly in electric vehicles.