Energy Development
New developments and attractions are reviving downtown and adding to the tourism industry. Major employers are embracing the emerging electric and autonomous vehicle industries. The recent announcement by Stellantis and LG Energy Solutions to site their $5 billion lithium-ion battery production facility in Windsor presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and is the catalyst for further economic investments. These opportunities, coupled with population growth and electrification of our vehicles and homes, significantly increase demand for new energy supply west of Chatham.
City administration has taken the lead to fully understand the current and future state of energy requirements for the region, working closely with Power Advisory, who are actively engaging with the Ministry of Energy, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), Hydro One, ENWIN, and other market participants. On September 26, 2022, administration brought forward Council Report (S 161/2022) and an accompanying Power Advisory presentation outlining options to ensure an adequate power supply for existing and pending customers, and informing City Council of the IESO process.
Willing Host
City Council has confirmed Windsor to be a willing host for new energy development projects. These projects are important to the City, and we are working collectively with other regional municipalities, utilities and Invest WindsorEssex to support local development applications.
Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) - Municipal Support Resolutions
The IESO has announced the list of Qualified Applicants for its E-LT1 and LT1 Procurement Request for Proposals (RFP). The City of Windsor is committed to assisting IESO Qualified Applicants to secure the required municipal support by the revised E-LT1 application deadline, January 24, 2023, as communicated by the IESO. Another condition of the IESO application is the community engagement requirement, which includes the requirement to notify the local municipality of the meeting. This meeting may help inform the municipal support resolutions, and where possible, City administration will be in attendance as available.
On November 28, 2022, administration brought forward Council Report (S 177/2022) recommending City Council delegate the issuance of Municipal Support Confirmation Letters for Battery Storage Systems (project specific) to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), satisfactory in technical content to the Commissioner of Economic Development and Innovation. This recommendation was endorsed by City Council.
The Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Department will develop Municipal Support Confirmation Letter reports for E-LT1 Battery Storage System projects and submit to the CAO for signature. In order to provide letters in a timely fashion, proponents are requested to supply the following information to the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Department no later than January 9, 2023:
Name of long-term reliability project
Proponent name
Technology of the long-term reliability project
Maximum contract capacity of the long-term reliability project in Mega Watts (MW)
Legal description of the portion of the project site that is located on lands subject to the authority of one or more municipalities
Community engagement details (i.e. public website, and notice of public meeting)
The City will continue to work with proponents for IESO's E-LT1 and LT1 RFP. Administration will bring forward reports requesting Municipal Support Resolution requests for Non-Battery Storage projects to City Council for consideration as required. In keeping with requirements for notice, Council agenda materials are made public approximately two weeks in advance of Council meetings.
Contact Us
Municipal leads have been assigned to assist you in navigating the City’s requirements. Administration strongly encourages applicants to contact us as soon as possible to ensure that requests for support align with our council meeting process and are achieved within the stipulated timeframe.