As demand for clean energy continues to grow, fossil gas plants remain an economic black hole

May 1, 2023

GUELPH — Ontario Greens leader and MPP for Guelph Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to reports that even if federal regulations require new fossil gas plants to shut down, the Ford government will continue to pay their contracts.

“There’s no doubt that Ontario needs to dramatically grow its electricity grid.

But buying into expensive, soon-to-be-obsolete fossil gas plants is not how we’re going to get there.

Just weeks ago with the announcement of the Volkswagen battery plant in St. Thomas, we saw proof that Ontario’s skills, resources and workforce can and will attract new industries, create tens of thousands of new jobs and give Ontario a strong foothold in the booming climate economy.

But to take advantage of those opportunities, we need a government that sees the value in our clean energy future.

Despite report after report showing that renewables are cleaner, safer and cheaper than fossil fuels, Doug Ford continues to sign new contracts for polluting fossil gas plants.

Now, to make matters worse, he’s promising that those new plants will continue to have their contracts paid out even if federal clean-energy regulations render them inoperable.

Ontarians deserve to know: Where is the fiscal logic in buying into planned obsolescence? Where is this government’s rationale for its continual refusal to invest in clean energy?

Ontario Greens know that our province is ready to be a leader in the trillion-dollar new climate economy.

We’ll keep holding the Ford government to account by pushing for low-cost renewable projects and ambitious energy efficiency programs to drive progress on climate and help people and businesses save money by saving energy.”

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