By Sue McKenzie
A decision by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) signals the dawn of a whole new era in the shift to clean energy sources and away from the fossil gas infrastructure being pushed by Enbridge Gas and the Ontario Conservative government. The OEB turned down an Enbridge gas proposal for the City of Ottawa.
Municipal action was a key factor in the decision. The City of Ottawa intervened with the OEB, saying it won’t be using as much gas anymore due to its Energy Evolution community plan to be powered by clean, renewable energy by 2050. This is true municipal clout!
In Muskoka, Bracebridge Town Council is already a leader in this process. It unanimously called on the Ontario government to phase out gas-fired power plants by 2030 on January 20, 2021, joining 32 other Ontario municipalities in this call.
This does leave me puzzling how the Bracebridge Mayor, now a provincial election candidate for the party promoting natural gas, can explain his apparent flip-flop on this matter.
So, if our Muskoka municipalities implement energy and home heating conservation goals, as well as promote and support conversion to clean energy installations in our homes (eg. lower cost air source heat pumps), can we get the transition to clean energy started here as well?
Maybe we don’t need those new pipelines in Huntsville and Burk’s Falls, which will lock unsuspecting new gas users into expensive GHG-producing furnaces and rising gas costs for many years—while Enbridge waltzes away with the $3.1 million the Ford government has gifted them.
Sue McKenzie, Gravenhurst
Notes:
- Photo is a screenshot of the January 12, 2021 Bracebridge General Committee meeting where the vote was taken. The vote is at 4:51:59 at this town video link: http://video.isilive.ca/bracebridge/GMT20210112_General-Co_gallery_1280x720.mp4.html Ratified January 20 by Bracebridge Council.
- Other sources:
- The Energy Mix: https://www.theenergymix.com/2022/05/29/exclusive-ontario-regulator-refuses-new-pipeline-tells-enbridge-to-plan-for-lower-gas-demand/?utm_source=The+Energy+Mix&utm_campaign=487926a531-TEM_RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dc146fb5ca-487926a531-509986141
- Link to the OEB decision https://www.oeb.ca/node/3272
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This piece is very misleading. Currently, virtually all Ontario electric generation is renewable. Our main sources of generation are nuclear…ie: Darlington, Pickering and Bruce plants…and hydro, think Niagara Falls. In fact the 2 generating stations at Niagara produce one quarter of the electricity used in Ontario.
That said, gas plants are critical for supporting base load generation as well as peaker plants when excess capacity is required.
In 2019, Ontario had almost 40% of Canada’s population and emissions per capita were the 3rd lowest in Canada. GHG emissions by sector were 36% from Transportation, 24% for Residential and Commercial buildings, 17% from heavy industry, 7.6% from oil and gas refining, 5% from agriculture, 2% from electricity, and 8% from all others. Everyone has their pet peeves, but limitations on human and financial resources demand that both voters and governments have an appropriate sense of priorities.
Improved public transit, increased ride sharing, and reduced rush hour congestion can reduce emissions from transportation while we convert to zero-emissions vehicles and equipment over the next 15 to 20 years. A study done by the US EPA found that GHG emissions increase by as much as 35% during rush hour congestion and are as potent as emissions from gas-based electricity. So, it can be said that measures to reduce rush-hour congestion are perhaps more important than eliminating emissions from gas-based electricity.
In Ontario, natural gas is the only source of emissions from electricity. Our gas power plants are used very sparingly; mainly to back up intermittent wind and solar power. The more intermittent wind and solar we install, the more gas backup or expensive energy storage, or expensive weather-vulnerable long distance transmission lines we need. Battery storage competes with EV batteries for scarce materials. The gas plants also serve as emergency back-up as we work our way through a complex 10-year refurbishment program at the nuclear plants that supply 60% of Ontario’s clean electricity. The relatively small potential emissions reduction from gas plants does not warrant risking the reliability of our power supply.
Germany painted themselves into a very difficult corner by cutting off older energy supplies before newer ones were ready. Surely, we can learn form that. Priorities must consider all realities.
96% of Ontario’s power is non-fossil fuel right now.
Natural gas is only a short term backup power source, not a primary power source.
So Graydon Smith voted against the Conservative Party plans? “Natural Gas Expansion Program – Ontario.”
In Ontario it is unlikely that we get our electricity from natural gas or any other gas for that matter. We have an array of other sources such as nuclear and solar and wind generation acrossed the province. Why council would way in on this subject is unclear for certain.
We waged war against nuclear-powered generation for 4 decades. The yellow ribbon campaign of the 70s can attest to that. It happened just the same dispite the flaws. Building a nuclear-power station on a shelf near Lake Ontario that could not operate above 30% was another fiasco of the Provincial Government of the day. Again Wynns Liberals poured billions into this same plant to try and make it stable only to be told No and loosing millions in cancellation fees.
Government do what they want regardless of consequences because they believe they can. Changing political affiliation doesn’t change the corrupt corperation that is unaccountable to the tax payers.
I support progress through understanding. Not bullying and coercion. This election is about both. It’s time for real change and that’s being uncomfortable about your choice on a new path forward.
ReubenPyette