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Schreiner calls for energy efficiency and conservation
NEWS
Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner says Ontarians can only be disappointed with the lack of leadership and short-sighted vision in the McGuinty government’s fiscally irresponsible long-term energy plan. Both the Liberals and Conservatives are proposing the highest cost and highest risk strategy to keep our lights on: investment in new nuclear capacity.
The government’s energy plan fails to recognize that the most cost effective approach to energy demand prioritizes investment in conservation and energy efficiency. It’s not rocket science.
Given the current deficit, the government’s commitment to high cost generation without conservation is simply astonishing. New and refurbished nuclear is more expensive than all forms of renewable generation, except solar where the price is expected to decline. To date, no nuclear project has come in on budget or on time. In fact, Ontarians are still paying for the cost overruns of building nuclear plants nearly two decades ago.
It’s time for legislation to protect Ontario ratepayers and taxpayers from passing on these capital cost overruns. All energy producers should be treated the same when it comes to assuming the risks associated with capital investments. No other energy producer is able to pass capital cost overruns onto the consumer like the nuclear industry does.
To be competitive in the 21st century, Ontario must eliminate waste in the energy sector by increasing efficiency, reducing demand and halting the growing administrative and consulting costs in the energy bureaucracy.
The Green Party’s energy plan would include using waste heat to produce electricity in a combined heat and power program that would end the wasteful use of natural gas in the province. The GPO’s plan would include negotiating water power imports from Quebec at a price that is three to six times less expensive than new nuclear generation.
It’s time for a long term energy plan that moves Ontario into the 21st century by democratizing energy production and encouraging self-reliant communities to produce secure and reliable green energy. The Green Party would prioritize community power projects that are locally owned, locally planned and with benefits flowing to the communities that host them.
QUOTES
“Ontario needs to stop burning money by investing in costly nuclear, and instead make conservation and energy efficiency our top priority in the province’s long term energy plan.”
– Mike Schreiner, Leader, GPO
“The old parties clearly don’t understand that investing in energy efficiency and conservation makes sense because it is the most cost effective and financially responsible approach to meeting our energy needs.”
– Mike Schreiner, Leader, GPO
QUICK FACTS
• Renewable Technologies and Pricing (Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff Program Backgrounder, OPA)
Landfill gas
10.3c – 11.1c/kWh
Biogas
10.4c – 19.6c/kWh
Waterpower
12.2c – 13.1c/kWh
Biomass
13.0c – 13.8c/kWh
Windpower
13.5c – 19c/kWh
Solar PV
44.3c – 80.2c/kWh
• Approximate costs of Ontario’s Electricity Resource Options (OCAA Research Energy Report 2010)
o Darlington Re-Build 19c – 37c /kWh
o Energy Efficiency 2.3c – 4.6c/kWh
• As of December 31st, 2009, the OPA’s total spending on energy conservation and demand management was $541.6 million; whereas it has contracted for electricity supply projects with a total capital cost of $23.6 billion. For every dollar spent on energy conservation and demand management, $44 of new supply has been contracted.
• Ontario’s demand for electricity has fallen by 7% since 2006, but our electricity consumption per person is still 35% higher than New York State’s (Clean Air Alliance)
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Media Contact for Leader Interviews:
Jaymini Bhikha
416-275-8573
jbhikha@gpo.ca