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Let's make Ontario really green!

Improving the Green Energy Act

Ontario currently gets approximately 25% of its electricity from renewable sources.   As a result of the proposed Green Energy Act, Ontario expects to obtain almost 40% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2027. So the Green Energy Act is a very positive step forward. But at the same time, the Ontario Government has shown no sign of lessening its equally deep commitment to building expensive new nuclear reactors. 
  • The government’s current electricity plan will increase our nuclear generation capacity from 11,400 to 14,000 megawatts, which means that Ontario will obtain 60% of its electricity from nuclear power by 2027.
  • By June 20, 2009 the government intends to give the nuclear industry a big, blank cheque to build two new nuclear reactors at the Darlington Nuclear Station, locking us into a nuclear energy future for another 60 years. Based on the cost estimates of Moody’s Investors Service, these new reactors could cost $26 billion.
  • Every dollar spent on nuclear is a dollar NOT spent on renewable energy or energy efficiency.
 Ontario’s nuclear industry always low-balls their cost estimates to persuade politicians and the public that nuclear power is the lowest cost option to keep our lights on.   In fact, every nuclear project in Ontario’s history has gone way over budget – and the cost overruns are always passed on to Ontario’s electricity consumers and taxpayers. As a result, in 2008 Ontario’s electricity consumers and taxpayers had to shell out $2 billion to pay down the existing nuclear debt. And we will still be paying for years to come.
 
On the other hand, renewable power companies are not allowed to pass their capital cost overruns on to consumers or taxpayers. The McGuinty Government has signed more than 450 electricity supply contracts for renewable power. None of these contracts allow renewable power companies to pass their capital cost overruns on to Ontario’s electricity consumers or taxpayers.
 

It’s time to end the bailouts for nuclear power.

It’s time to protect electricity consumers and taxpayers from future nuclear cost overruns.

It’s time to make nuclear power companies compete on a level playing field with renewable power companies.

 
The Ontario Clean Air Alliance is asking the Ontario Legislature to amend the proposed Green Energy Act to make it illegal for nuclear power companies to pass their capital cost overruns on to Ontario’s electricity consumers and taxpayers.
 
Please contact:
 
a)    George Smitherman, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure

Phone: 416-327-6758
Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
4th Floor, Hearst Block
900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2E1 
 
 
b)    Bob Runciman, Interim Leader of the Opposition
Phone: 416-325-1522
Room 436, Main Legislative Building
Queen’s Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A8

 

c)    Andrea Horwath, Leader of the NDP
Phone: 416-325-2777
 Room 112, Main Legislative Building
Queen’s Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A5
 
And ask them to amend the proposed Green Energy Act to make it illegal for nuclear power companies to pass their capital cost overruns on to Ontario’s electricity consumers and taxpayers.
 
 
 

 

 

 


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geahandoutapril17.pdf353.61 KB