Two new energy storage facilities have been selected through a competitive process to provide a combined 55 MW of regulation service, an important reliability function that corrects for short-term changes in electricity use and helps compensate for real-time supply and demand imbalances.
Under the 2017 regulation request for proposals (RFP), the IESO received 42 submissions representing approximately 350 MW of regulation capacity from a variety of existing and new build facilities, including energy storage and waterpower facilities.
Two proposals were selected to provide this service: Hecate Energy Ontario Storage VII, LP, and Saturn Power Inc.
These successful projects represent one of largest reductions in per-unit regulation costs since Ontario’s electricity market opened, the IESO said. The 55 MW procured through this process will complement the 100 MW of regulation service that is typically scheduled every hour to help ensure the reliable operation of the power system.
The IESO will continue to perform regular operability assessments to determine if additional regulation service is required. Further information on regulation service and the drivers of the need for increased regulation service is available on the IESO website.