Ontario can reap multi-billion dollar electricity savings

Ontario can reap multi-billion dollar electricity savings

Let’s Cut Some Real Waste

March 20, 2012 - Ontario’s electricity bills can be reduced by $1.7 billion to $9.1 billion per year by 2030 by importing water power from Quebec and investing in energy efficiency and natural gas-fired combined heat and power plants instead of continued wasteful spending on nuclear power, according to the Ontario Clean Air Alliance’s (OCAA) new report: Energizing the Drummond Report: How Ontario can reap multi-billion dollar electricity savings.

“The Government of Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan, which calls for a huge re-investment in nuclear power, doesn’t make sense since the province has cleaner, safer and much lower cost options to keep our lights on”, said Jack Gibbons, Chair of the OCAA.

“While the Drummond Report includes eleven excellent recommendations for the electricity sector, it failed to discover the biggest opportunity for savings, namely, cancelling the McGuinty Government’s arbitrary commitment to meet 50% of our future electricity needs by re-investing in very high-cost nuclear power. The savings from switching to lower cost options to keep our lights on can be used to protect health care and public education”, Mr. Gibbons noted.

The Government can also reduce our electricity bills by up to $1 billion over the next three years by cancelling its subsidies for Ontario Power Generation’s money-losing Nanticoke and Lambton coal-fired power plants. “We no longer need our dirty coal plants to keep our lights on since our coal-free generation capacity will be 36% greater than our peak demand this summer”, Mr. Gibbons said.

Important Facts

• While Ontario’s electricity consumption has fallen by 10% since 2005, our electricity consumption per person is still 27% higher than New York State’s.
• In 2011 imports from Quebec met only 1.8% of our electricity needs despite the fact they could provide us with 17% of our supply using existing transmission capacity between Ontario and Quebec.
• Ontario’s incremental combined heat and power potential is between 10,000 and 15,000 megawatts (MW); our existing nuclear capacity is 11,446 MW.

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For more information:
Jack Gibbons
Chair, Ontario Clean Air Alliance
416-260-29080 ext. 2