- Manitoba Hydro proposed a 750-megawatt gas plant expansion at the Brandon Generating Station.
- During a July 29 Public Utilities Board hearing, Hydro's energy markets director testified that the Brandon plant had to reduce output during three of the past 10 winter peak periods.
- Critics, including the Manitoba Climate Action Team, called the testimony a rare admission that gas turbines are not as reliable during cold snaps as claimed.
- Hydro responded that all generation sources have outages and that the existing turbines are over 20 years old, with a 91% start-up reliability.
- Hydro's vice-president Dave Bowen suggested that the existing Brandon station should not serve as evidence of low reliability for natural gas plants.
- Hydro's long-term energy plan is currently before the Public Utilities Board for public hearings, with debates ongoing for over 50 years.
Critics of Manitoba Hydro's $3 billion gas turbine plan are raising concerns after the utility admitted to derating its Brandon plant during severe winter cold snaps. Testimony revealed that the plant's output was reduced during three of the past ten winter peak usage periods, raising questions about the reliability of natural gas as a power source.13
Hydro's energy markets director, Cheryl Sanclemente, confirmed that the maximum output was reduced on January 7 and December 20, 2022, and again on January 22 and 23, 2023. James Wilt, policy director for the Manitoba Climate Action Team, described this as a rare admission, challenging Hydro's claims of near-perfect reliability for natural gas compared to other energy sources like wind.
In defense, Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura stated that all power generation can occasionally go offline, noting the Brandon turbines are over 20 years old. Hydro vice-president Dave Bowen argued that past underinvestment in the plant has affected its reliability, emphasizing that the proposed new turbines are expected to deliver significantly higher reliability during peak demand.456
Manitoba Hydro's long-term energy plan aims to add over 1,700 megawatts of new capacity, including three new combustion turbines at the Brandon station. The utility insists that this expansion is necessary to meet growing electricity demand, which could exceed available capacity in the coming years. Hydro's residential rate of 10.52 cents per kilowatt hour remains among the lowest in North America, further supporting their case for the new gas turbines.78
“At a July 29 hearing, Hydro's Cheryl Sanclemente admitted the 280-megawatt Brandon plant reduced output on Jan. 7 and Dec. 20 in 2022 and again on Jan. 22-23 this year. Hydro's Dave Bowen argued the aging station's issues stem from past underinvestment, not gas technology's inherent reliability.”
Winnipeg Free Press
