Greens to expand Combined Heat and Power projects to conserve energy, promote efficiency and save money

London, Ontario—Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner announced the party’s plan to expand combined heat and power (CHP) targets to conserve energy and establish a more efficient power system in Ontario.

“Eliminating waste is essential to increasing efficiency and reducing utility bills,” said Schreiner. “Most large buildings and factories in Ontario use natural gas to provide heat. Instead of allowing waste heat to escape unused, why not use these same molecules to provide two services: heat and electricity?”
 
CHP plants have an overall energy efficiency of 80–90%, an improvement on the 33% efficiency of a standard nuclear reactor. Because of their very high efficiency, CHP plants provide an affordable and flexible source of base load power. 
 
“CHP can be implemented at factories, schools, hospitals, malls and large commercial buildings,” added Schreiner. “Plus CHP has the added bonus of providing secure backup power in case of power outages. Given the efficiency gains and affordability of electricity generated by CHP, we believe the current generation target of an additional 500 MW from CHP is far too low.”
 
CHP can be and is often implemented as part of a district heating system that provides efficient low-cost heat to multiple buildings. Schreiner made the announcement in London, which is home to one of the longest-running district power systems in the province.
 
The Green Party energy plan includes:

• Increasing electrical generation targets and capacity factors for Combined Heat and Power. 
• Prioritizing grid access for affordable Combined Heat and Power projects.
• Supporting the development of efficient district heating and clean energy recovery projects, which includes amending the Ontario Energy Board Act to allow Ontario’s electric and gas utilities to invest in district energy projects. 

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Media Contact:
Rebecca Harrison
Director of Communications
Green Party of Ontario
(c) 905-999-5479
(e) rebeccaharrison@gpo.ca