About the OCAA: Working together to move Ontario towards a renewable electricity future

The Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) is a coalition of individuals and approximately 90 organizations (health and environmental organizations, faith communities, municipalities, utilities, unions and corporations) that represent over six million Ontarians.   We were established in 1997 to achieve the phase-out of Ontario’s dirty coal-fired power plants and to move Ontario towards a renewable electricity future.

In 2001, Ontario’s then Minister of the Environment, Elizabeth Witmer, issued a legally binding regulation requiring the phase-out of coal burning at the Lakeview Generating Station in Mississauga by April 2005.  In September 2002, when Ernie Eves was Premier, the Government of Ontario adopted the goal of phasing-out the province’s four remaining coal-fired power plants by 2015.  In August 2007 the McGuinty Government issued a legally binding regulation requiring the complete phase-out of coal burning by December 31, 2014.

Thanks to the actions of the McGuinty Government, Ontario’s coal-free generation capacity is now 28% greater than our peak demand for electricity.  As a consequence, we are now asking Premier McGuinty to put the dirty coal plants on standby reserve and only operate them if they are absolutely needed to keep the lights on.  This simple action would allow Ontario to achieve a virtually complete coal phase-out today – four years ahead of schedule.

The OCAA is also working to ensure that Ontario can obtain 100% of its grid-supplied electricity from renewable sources by 2030.  Our three-pronged strategy to achieve this goal consists of:

• Energy conservation and efficiency;
• Made-in-Ontario green power and water power imports from Quebec; and
• Small-scale, highly efficient combined heat and power plants.

We are also working to ensure that Ontario Power Generation and Bruce Power are not allowed to pass their cost overruns from any future nuclear power projects onto the province’s electricity consumers or taxpayers.

This web site will provide you with information about our members, our resources and our strategies to phase-out coal and move Ontario towards a renewable electricity future.   You will also find our pamphlets and media clippings about air pollution issues and details about how you can get involved in this critically important campaign.

Support the important work of the OCAA.

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Thanks to all of our members and  financial supporters for helping the OCAA to have a big impact.