Project overview
This website provides an introduction to the Essex Battery Energy Storage Project (“Essex BESS” or the “Project”) located in the Municipality of Lakeshore, County of Essex, Ontario. Project development was initiated by Essex BESS Limited Partnership (“Essex LP”, previously doing business as “BW Storage 1 Limited Partnership”). PR Development LP (the “Qualified Applicant”, an affiliate of Potentia Renewables Inc) and Essex Storage LP (the “Proponent”) have since joined Essex LP in developing the Project. PR Development LP is the Qualified Applicant under the IESO Expedited Long-Term Request for Proposals and Essex Storage LP will act as the Proponent.
The Essex BESS is a battery energy storage facility sized to provide up to 350 Megawatt (“MW”) over four hours (1,400 MWhr). It occupies approximately 35 acres of land within a 50-acre parcel located at 2873 Lakeshore Road 245. A map of the Project area is provided on the right. The Project will connect to Hydro One’s 230-kilovolt transmission system.
The Project will be participating in the 2022 Independent Electricity System Operators (“IESO”) Expedited Long-Term Request for Proposals (“IESO E-LT1 RFP”). The Project is also initiating a Class Environmental Assessment for Minor Transmission Facilities (“Class EA”). The Essex BESS is designed with the intention of addressing the growing electricity needs of southwestern Ontario. The IESO is forecasting a need for 4,000 MW by 2023 and is in the process of administering various procurement programs to address this need.
community and indigenous engagement
PR Development LP and Essex LP have designed a Community and Indigenous Engagement Plan (“Engagement Plan”) for the Essex BESS to provide structured and proactive consultation and engagement with stakeholders throughout the Project’s development. We recognize that stakeholder input is an integral component of a successful project. This Engagement Plan follows the engagement requirements as outlined in Section 2.1 (f) of the IESO E-LT1 RFP.
Essex BESS has hosted two (2) community meetings, the first one in July 2022 and the second in December 2022. Consultation and engagement materials from both open houses are available below. We have consolidated the questions and feedback we have received into a Q&A Log, which will be updated throughout Project development.
We strive to keep the community and interested parties up to date with Project information. If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to us at [email protected].
December 2022 Community Meeting
- Community and Indigenous Engagement Plan (Nov 22, 2022)
- Notice of Community Open House to the Local Community (Nov 21, 2022)
- Notice of Community Open House in the Harrow News (Nov 22, 2022)
- Notice of Community Open House in the Essex Free Press (Nov 24, 2022)
- Scaled Map of Essex BESS (Dec 8, 2022)
- Open House Display Board (Dec 8, 2022)
- Open House Meeting Summary (Dec 8, 2022)
- Q&A Log (last updated Jan 13, 2023)
July 2022 Community Open House
community benefits
- Long-Term Tax Revenue – Over the course of its life span, the Project will be a source of significant and reliable contributions to the Municipality’s tax base while requiring minimal municipal services. The Municipality can use the increased tax revenue to fund roads, schools and improve municipal services.
- Local Employment – Jobs created during construction will include those related to land surveying, road construction, concrete and aggregates supply, equipment installation, substation construction, electrical testing and technical commissioning to name a few.
- Boosting the Economy – Construction site services, materials, and contractors will be sourced locally as much as possible subject to meeting quality, quantity, and workmanship requirements. Workers may also require local accommodation and services while working on the Project. In addition to the direct jobs, the Project will increase electrical capacity enabling further investment in Southwest Ontario.
- Reducing Emissions – The Project will also help to reduce Ontario’s emissions by limiting the need to run natural gas generators during times of peak loads.
Potentia Renewables Inc. (“PRI”) is a Canadian developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy assets with over 1,200 MW of solar and wind projects that are in operation, under construction or under contract. PRI is owned by Power Energy Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Power Corporation Canada, a company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Our team has been involved in either the development, construction or operation of 31% (or 2.4 GW) of utility-scale renewable energy projects in Ontario.
Please visit www.potentiarenewables.com to learn more.
BW Solar’s mission is to play an active role in the energy transition by empowering communities to rely on clean energy to power their lives. Being a privately held company gives BW Solar the agility to adapt to the fast-moving regulatory and technological landscape. We focus on maximising development value rather than short-term cash flows, ensuring that we can provide the lowest levelized cost of energy.
BW Solar is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, supported by BW Group’s global team of development, technical, operational, financial and legal professionals.
Please visit https://bw-group.com/our-businesses/bw-solar/ to learn more.
