ATIKOKAN, Ont. — Ontario Power Generation says its biomass generating station at Atikokan did the job it’s meant to do whenever there’s a sudden demand for electricity in Northwestern Ontario.  The station, which burns wood pellets, ordinarily is only required to operate for several hours a day, during peak consumption periods Monday to Friday.  But for 24 days during two recent periods of unseasonably cold weather, the 205-megawatt station was producing power on a 24/7 basis.  Darcey Bailey, director of plant operations, says it was not just the cold but a combination of factors affecting the energy grid in the northwest that came into play.  Extreme cold always drives up demand. …Despite the increased demand, the station’s output was never required to exceed half its designed capacity.  Bailey said this shows the Atikokan plant’s value as an important backup power source in the event of an even more serious situation.