Supporting Sustainable Energy Storage in the Port Lands - by Councillor Paula Fletcher, seconded by Councillor Dianne Saxe

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The decision

2023-10-11 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on October 11 and 12, 2023, adopted the following: 1. City Council endorse the potential use of City-owned lands for large-scale battery storage, where appropriate, subject to due diligence and City Council approval where required, building on the general direction provided for in TransformTO - Critical Steps for Net Zero by 2040. 2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment and Climate and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to work with relevant divisions as appropriate to review potential benefits and issues with large scale battery storage in the City of Toronto, including environmental, safety (such as fire life safety), and relation to other adjacent land uses.

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3. City Council endorse CreateTO/Toronto Port Lands Corporation exploring use of Toronto Port Lands Corporation-owned lands in the Port Lands for utility scale storage through the issuance of a request for proposal: a. request CreateTO/Toronto Port Lands Corporation to report back in 2024 on results of the request for proposal and any negotiated term sheets should suitable proponents be identified, prior to entering into a long-term lease. 4. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Environment and Climate to provide preliminary municipal support for the project, pending the completion of due diligence, as it is required by the Independent Electricity System Operator's request for proposal process for energy storage projects. 5. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment and Climate to include in the report on renewable energy programs, expected in the fourth quarter of 2023, an update on activities underway at the City on large scale battery storage.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

The Provincial mandate to the Independent Electricity System Operator to increase energy production in Ontario has had mixed consequences for the City. The increase in running times for the Port Lands Energy Centre is opposed by City Council because of its negative health effects and unsustainable nature. However staff at Environment, Energy and Climate and CreateTO have brought to our attention a possible opportunity to add a Battery Storage Facility in the Port Lands, using the existing infrastructure around the Hearn Generating Station.

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A Battery Storage Facility also has the potential to reduce the uptime at the Port Lands Energy Centre and can support the City's Transform TO goals to transition to a sustainable energy grid. While multiple proponents are approaching the Independent Electricity System Operator the City can provide general support to the idea and a request for proposal for whichever proponent is selected by the Independent Electricity System Operator to be able to situate the facility on underutilized land in the Port Lands. From a climate policy perspective, local energy storage is an action in the Council-adopted Port lands net-zero energy plan as well as the City-wide TransformTO net-zero strategy, as more specifically described in the following Council decisions below. · On December 15, 2021 Council adopted TransformTO - Critical Steps for Net Zero by 2040. Environment and Climate Division brought forward this report. One of the short-term critical actions approved is to 'increase deployment of distributed energy sources, including energy storage'. · On December 5, 2017 Council adopted Port Lands Planning Initiatives - Final Report, which included the Port Lands Net-Zero Plan, supporting net-zero development, renewable energy, and energy storage strategies for a net-zero emissions Port Lands redevelopment. This Motion is urgent as it responds to upcoming Independent Electricity System Operator deadlines for proponents.

Staff recommended

Councillor Paula Fletcher, seconded by Councillor Dianne Saxe, recommends that: 1. City Council endorse the potential use of City-owned lands for large-scale battery storage, where appropriate, subject to due diligence and City Council approval where required, building on the general direction provided for in TransformTO - Critical Steps for Net Zero by 2040. 2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment and Climate and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to work with relevant divisions as appropriate to review potential benefits and issues with large scale battery storage in the City of Toronto, including environmental, safety (such as fire life safety), and relation to other adjacent land uses 3.

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City Council endorse CreateTO/Toronto Port Lands Corporation exploring use of Toronto Port Lands Corporation-owned lands in the Port Lands for utility scale storage through the issuance of a request for proposal: a. request CreateTO/Toronto Port Lands Corporation to report back in 2024 on results of the request for proposal and any negotiated term sheets should suitable proponents be identified, prior to entering into a long-term lease 4. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Environment and Climate to provide preliminary municipal support for the project, pending the completion of due diligence, as it is required by the Independent Electricity System Operator's request for proposal process for energy storage projects 5. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment and Climate to include in the report on renewable energy programs, expected in the fourth quarter of 2023, an update on activities underway at the City on large scale battery storage

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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