Time to clear the air on electricity promises

Dirty air, higher priced electricity, and lost jobs- that’s the cost of Ontario’s energy policy.

This past week brought with it a lot of hot air- both outside, and within the Ontario Legislature.  Ontarians ramped up their air conditioners, and the Energy Minister ramped up the rhetoric.

As we experienced our first heat wave, electricity demand again exceeded Ontario’s supply.  As a result, Ontario imported US electricity- much of it coming from coal.

Ontarians remember the broken promise about a rate cap- broken just months after it was made.  That promise was broken again on May 1, when Ontarians woke up to the latest hike in their electricity bills- 55 per cent since 2003!

But how did we get here?  Rewind to 2003 when McGuinty promised to “shut down Ontario’s coal-burning power plants by 2007”- that’s next year.  Realizing its goal was unattainable, in a June 2005 press release, the government re-promised to close Thunder Bay, Atikokan, and Lambton by 2007, and Nanticoke by 2009.

In light of this past week’s record demand, and our massive shortfall of supply, my colleagues asked fifteen questions over four days about the government’s new agenda for coal plants.  On each occasion, the provincial government refused to reveal its new timeline for coal generation.

Ontario’s failed energy policy has been met with criticism across the province.  The Windsor Star is saying “Duncan feeling the heat.”  The Welland Tribune goes further, accusing the Liberals of “waffling” on their promise.

Simply put, the McGuinty government has found a way to break the promise, revise the promise, and then break it again- all within the past three years. 

One thing is clear- it is not feasible to close the coal generating stations.  According to a report published by the Association of Major Power Consumers of Ontario, we will pay a steep price.  Each year between 2010 and 2025, we will lose out on 100,000 jobs and $16 billion in real gross domestic product.  That’s in addition to 25 per cent increases in our electricity bills in each of those 15 years.

The cost of closing our coal-fired plants is too great for our economy to bear.  But, the continued refusal to clean up these plants will inflict environmental costs as well.  Realizing this, I have consistently called on the provincial government to follow the leadership of the former government on pollution abatement.  Our government invested $250 million in Selective Catalytic Reduction Units (SCRs) in Nanticoke and Lambton.

But the McGuinty government argues that clean-air technology doesn’t exist, and hasn’t invested a single dollar in pollution abatement.  That’s why everybody was baffled on May 10th when the province took six American coal-fired power plants to court, to force them to install clean-air technology!

As with other issues, I encourage feedback.  Send me an email to toby@tobybarrett.com, and give me your thoughts on higher electricity bills, lost jobs, and the government’s continued refusal to invest in cleaning up our power plants.

As we experience the beginning of another smoggy summer, it’s time to clear the air on the energy plan.  Broken promises, rate hikes, and job losses aren’t working for Ontarians.  We need a plan for electricity, pollution abatement, and accountability.  Anything less is just more hot air.