August 17, 2005

Five reasons for clean-air technology

As I drove to work at time of writing, I heard the radio announce we have been close to brownouts in Ontario 53 times this summer! Arriving at the office, a newspaper headline warned us “Be prepared for shock on next hydro bill”.

Given the new attention being paid to Ontario’s growing energy shortfalls – and following a meeting with Lambton’s Clean Affordable Energy Alliance (CAE Alliance) - I propose: FIVE REASONS FOR MAINTAINING COAL POWER WITH INVESTMENT IN CLEAN AIR TECHNOLOGY.

#1 The price of natural gas has tripled in the past 4 years.
According to many sources, natural gas prices will continue upwards as reserves decline. The CAE Alliance indicates on their website – caealliance.com – that, “The costs for electricity, for home heating and for air conditioning will rise 30-50%, even more in the future as gas supply diminishes and price rises.”And that, “Coal costs 1/3rd to 1/4th the cost of gas.” 

Fossil fuel is 25 per cent of our electricity needs, and the elimination of those sources – as per Mr. McGuinty’s coal-closure plans – will only cause both natural gas prices and electricity prices to skyrocket.

#2.  Coal is readily abundant and sustainable:
While Premier McGuinty switches from coal to dwindling supplies of expensive natural gas, future coal reserves continue to look solid for the coming centuries.

Many studies point to only a ten to twenty year window for the depletion of available natural gas reserves. Meantime Natural Resources Canada states that, "There is a great abundance of coal throughout the world, and in fact enough to last the next 250 years.”

#3 Clean Air Technology works!
According to Natural Resources Canada, “Coal-fired electricity generating plants can be retrofitted or built so that they produce low to zero emissions.” – why ignore this fact?

Our former government’s investment of $250 million into selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units at Nanticoke and Lambton virtually eliminated nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels from the units to which they were attached. We should finish the job.

Meantime, Ontario Power Generation already has emission reduction technology in place at Lambton Generating Station, to reduce 95 % of mercury emissions – why ignore these advances?

Natural Resources Canada further cites sulphur dioxide scrubbers, low NOx burners and other techniques for reduction of mercury, fine particulates and CO2 emissions in coal fired power plants.

South of the border, the Bush government has signed off on a $14.5 billion energy bill that invests $7 billion into clean coal technology and research.

#4   The closure of coal power will have little impact on smog in Ontario.
Over half of Ontario’s smog originates from the U.S.. As far as domestically produced smog is concerned, vehicles – not fossil fuel plants - are the greatest contributors. The CAE Alliance has pointed out that OPG is responsible for 6 % of all of Ontario’s air pollution, this can be reduced to 3% by the use of clean coal technology.

#5. It’s time we show leadership on smog reduction in our common airshed with the U.S,

We know most of our smog comes from the U.S. and we know the likelihood of those American plants closing is non-existent – in fact 72 new ones are in the works. Why not lead by example and continue the progress of the previous government by cleaning our plants here?