What is a battery storage facility?
Battery storage systems are designed to store energy during periods of low demand and release it back into the grid during peak hours. These facilities are used to improve grid reliability, support the integration of renewable energy (such as wind and solar power), spur local job creation, and provide backup power during emergencies.
Ultimately, these facilities are intended to eliminate the need for fossil fuel-based power plants over time.
VIDEO: Energy Storage: Powering Ontario’s Communities
Learn more about energy storage on the IESO website.
What role does Haldimand County play in the RFP process?
All local battery energy storage system (BESS) projects are independent from Haldimand County. Driven by the province and the IESO, the County has no direct decision-making authority over which projects are awarded to proceed.
Projects may agree in writing to adhere to specific criteria developed by the County to strengthen their bid to the province. This is the only mechanism of control that the County currently has to help ensure that any projects going ahead meet County standards in terms of public safety, consultation, acceptable visual barriers, land use planning, and monetary contributions.
HOWEVER, agreeing to County criteria does not automatically mean a project will be approved by the province, only that they agree to adhere to our conditions should they be selected. Similarly, projects that do not agree to our criteria are not automatically disqualified. The advancement of any project is at the sole discretion of the IESO and the province.
For more details on specific County criteria, see Report CAO-03-2023.
Benefits to the Community
It is expected that there will be a number of local benefits to supporting battery storage facilities within the county. Some of these include, but are not limited to:
Current and proposed energy storage projects in Haldimand County
Project Name | Location | Maximum Capacity | Status |
Hagersville Battery Energy Storage Park (Boralex) | Area of Haldimand Rd 55 and Concession 10 Walpole | 300 MW | Awarded by IESO in 2022 |
Nanticoke Energy Storge Project | Area of Haldimand Rd 55 and South Coast Dr | 449 MW | Proposed |
Hedley BESS Project | Concession 9 Walpole | 200 MW | Proposed |
Bridgeside BESS Project | Greens Rd Caledonia | 300 MW | Proposed |
Grand Energy Storage | County Rd 20 and 9 | TBD | Proposed |
At this time, the Hagersville Battery Energy Storage Park is the only project to be awarded by the province to proceed with constructing an energy storage facility. This project was approved as part of the first round of IESO’s Long-Term Procurement process (E-LT1 RFP) in May 2023.
The remaining projects have been submitted as part of the second round of Long-Term Procurement (LT1 RFP). Successful projects are anticipated to be announced by IESO in the first half of 2024.
Learn more about the IESO’s procurement process.
Oneida Energy Storage Project
Separate from the province’s energy storage procurement process currently underway, the Governments of Ontario and Canada are working together to build the 250 MW Oneida Energy Storage Project in partnership with the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation.
Learn more about the Oneida project on the Northland Power website.