Responding to objections from local residents, the authority overseeing the development of rapid transit lines in Metro Toronto has dropped plans for a gas-fired power plant in favour of a large scale battery system for storing electricity. On March 28 Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca announced that Metrolinx would be changing plans and building battery storage to improve the reliability of the transit system and reduce emissions. An 18 MW natural gas-fired power plant had been planned for construction at the Mount Dennis LRT terminus, just north of Eglinton West and Weston Road.
An article in the Toronto Star reported that “Under the new plan, the battery energy storage facility would be connected to the existing hydro grid and be charged during off-peak periods when energy is cheap, such as overnight. The stored energy could then be used to supply energy to the Crosstown throughout the day. The batteries could also provide backup power in the event of an outage, which would be critical to removing trains from tunnels and providing ventilation during an emergency.”
The western terminus for the Crosstown LRT is intended to connect different types of transit. The Crosstown line, running east to west across the centre of the city, is currently scheduled to open in 2021.