NL Hydro says it’s already seen an increase in the number of conversions from oil heat to electric in the province.

Vice President of Hydro Engineering and NL System Operations Rob Collett says last year there were only 100 conversions but that number has grown substantially this year.

He says given the increased cost of oil, they’ve seen 800 conversions so far this year. Collett says there are about another 40,000 homes heated with oil in the province, many of which could be converted in the coming years. That’s something they’re monitoring very closely.

Earlier this year NL Hydro announced it was expanding its backup systems to meet forecast demand amid continued questions surrounding the reliability of the Labrador-Island Link.

Collett says they have enough operational space for more oil to electric conversions in the near-term.

He says 1,000 households would equate to 5 megawatts, which is not a significant increase to absorb over a year. However, the potential conversion of up to 40,000 customers, would require a long-term plan to address the corresponding 10 per cent increase—or 200 megawatts—across their system.