Page 3 - Jan 2023 News On 7

IN THE NEWS

MARMORA PUMPED STORAGE PROJECT STILL ON TRACK
WRITTEN BY: JACK EVANS, FOR POSTMEDIA
Just because there has been little publicity about the proposed Marmora pumped storage hydroelectricity project does not
mean it is dead in the water. On Dec. 15 an open house on the project was held in the Marmora Legion Hall. Despite
predictions for a raging blizzard, more than 130 interested citizens attended with mostly positive feelings, reported Neal
Kelly, spokesman for Ontario Power Grid, (OPG) the government-owned agency that took over a few years ago from
Ontario Hydro for power generating projects. “We were very pleased at the response,” he commented in a telephone
interview. “This was the first of many community outreach sessions we need to hold as part of getting our ‘environmental
assessment’ cleared. We need this clearance before the project can be formally approved by the government.”
While one Marmora resident wrote a letter to the editor of The
Intelligencer in recent days describing the project “of no value” to
Marmora, most who attended wanted to check on the impact of local
water supplies, safety involved in the required storage facility and
prospects for local jobs, Kelly said.

The power output for the proposed clean energy project is 400
megawatts, enough to power up to 400,000 homes in this region. The
station’s main function, he said, will be a “backup,” similar to the nearby
Lennox Generating Station at Bath,
which operates on either natural gas or oil as required. Such backup energy is commonly used on very cold days in winter
and very hot days in summer and provides a high degree of support. Kelly added that Ontario’s need for electrical energy
could require tripling its present output over the next few decades, depending on user trends, e.g. electrical trains or new
appliances or other applications. The project has been endorsed from the get-go by municipal councils and political
leaders throughout the region, including Hastings County and its member municipalities, of which Marmora and Lake is
one. Kelly said he believes Quinte MPP and Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith, supports the program and has, in fact,
visited the site in recent weeks, as also has Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
The concept of pumped storage has been used for quite some years in Europe and Asia and there is even an early one in
Ontario at Niagara Falls. The Marmora one will be substantially bigger, he said, and is ideally located about midway between
Ottawa and Toronto, high electrical use regions. A large concrete storage lake will be created at the top of the huge pit and
a heavy duty pump installed. The facility will generate its own power to pump water up to the storage area during off-peak
night hours, then, just like Niagara Falls, the water can be returned at high speed to turn generators and back to the
bottom. One fill of the tank should provide power for more than five hours, he said. He expects more open houses and
consultations will be held in Marmora and elsewhere in the weeks and months ahead. He also noted that while OPG is the
main driver of the project, several prominent private companies are also involved in funding and building the project. He
contended the project will add to Marmora and area’s economy and reputation and there will be some need for additional
employment but figures remain unavailable.
MARMORA PUBLIC SCHOOL
Here’s another example of the thoughtful and generous organizations we have in our area! Our good friend Dee stopped in
with this wonderful surprise from the Cordova Mines Recreation Association . Cordova really is ‘The Hamlet with a Heart of
Gold’. "Spreading some Christmas cheer by giving back to our local schools! Their breakfast programs are a very important
part of the day for their students." Cordova Mines Recreation Association

Havelock Belmont Public School Scared Heart Catholic School Marmora Public School