2007 Provincial Election Questionnaire: Party responses on coal phase-out

Where do Ontario's 2007 candidates stand

OCCA asked Ontario's political parties when they would phase out coal-fired electricity, the single largest industrial source of greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario. Here are their replies:

Question #1: Do you support a provincial government regulation that establishes a legally-binding date for the complete phase out of coal burning at the Nanticoke, Lambton, Thunder Bay and Atikokan Generating Stations by: a) 2009; b) 2010; c) 2011; d) 2012; e) 2013; or f) 2014?

Liberal Party
Progressive Conservative Party
New Democratic Party
Green Party
 

Liberal Party: Support regulation? Yes. Date: 2014. We have reduced emissions by 1/3rd during our first mandate, will reduce emissions by another 1/3 within our second mandate and will eliminate coal by 2014.

Additional comments: Ontario is leading the world when it comes to phasing out coal-fired electricity. Our government shut down the Lakeview coal plant and reduced coal-fired generation by 32% - the equivalent of taking 2 million cars off the road. We replaced coal-fired generation by enabling more than $2 billion in investments in energy conservation initiatives and $2.5 billion in renewable energy projects. Ontario is now the fastest growing renewable jurisdiction in North America. Our plan is to continue our aggressive renewable and energy conservation agenda and reduce Ontario's coal-fired generation another 1/3 in our second mandate and eliminate it by 2014.

Next Liberal response.

Progressive Conservative Party: Support regulation? Yes. Date: When there is adequate supply from other sources.

The Ontario PC Party is the only party that is being honest about how much nuclear power will be needed in order to phase out coal. We will not eliminate coal until there is adequate replacement supply; to do otherwise would be irresponsible. We will encourage greater conservation, improved transmission and new technologies. We will immediately begin to clean up the coal plants by installing clean air technology such as ‘scrubbers’ at least at Nanticoke, where they can do the most good. We will work to build our supply of all clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind.

Additional comments: A John Tory Progressive Conservative government would immediately begin to clean up the coal plants by installing clean air technology such as ‘scrubbers’ at least at Nanticoke. We would work to build our supply of all renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and natural gas. We will also adopt a realistic timeline to replace dirty coal power, with the understanding that it would be irresponsible to reduce our energy capacity without a plan for its replacement.

It was Dalton McGuinty who stated that dirty air contributed to 1,800 premature deaths each year and the annual cost to the health care system was a billion dollars. By Dalton McGuinty’s measure, it would be irresponsible not to install clean air technology such as scrubbers, at least at Nanticoke, where they can do the most good. A real leader would have done this four years ago.

A John Tory Progressive Conservative government will look at how we can use the latest technologies being developed and used in other jurisdictions, such as gasification and carbon sequestration, in an effort to further improve our environment while maintaining a safe and reliable energy supply.

A John Tory Progressive Conservative government will promote greater conservation by taking actions such as improving the building code for residential, industrial, commercial and government buildings, making home energy audits mandatory when a home is sold and promoting voluntary home audits in the intervening years. A John Tory government will also provide incentives to existing homeowners that want to make their homes more energy efficient.

A John Tory government will improve energy transmission so we can actually access all of the energy we generate, support co-generation and allow Ontario’s rental community to play a real role in reducing our energy demands by allowing individual metering of apartments.

Our plan will systematically reduce our reliance on dirty coal power and we will work to encourage our neighbours, that we share power with, to do the same.

John Tory’s Plan for A Better Ontario will provide us with a clean, affordable and reliable energy supply. It will improve our environment and promote green technologies. It will encourage conservation and improve our transmission. John Tory will demonstrate the leadership it takes to transform Ontario’s energy system, because for a better Ontario, leadership matters.

Next PC response.

New Democratic Party: Support regulation?: Yes Date: Nanticoke: 2011; Lambton: 2012; Thunder Bay and Atikokan: 2014.

Nanticoke is Ontario’s biggest polluter and any credible plan to clean our air and reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions must start with closing Nanticoke as soon as practicable, by the end of 2011. Similarly, Lambton must be closed by the end of 2012. The Thunder Bay and Atikokan coal-fired generating stations would be kept on stand-by and operated solely as insurance in the event of an interruption of power from other clean sources of generation. While they will be maintained as insurance, no further investments will be made, and they will be operationally phased out and closed by 2014.

Next NDP response.

Green Party: Support regulation? Yes. Date: 2009.

The Green Party of Ontario will invest $16 billion over 15 years through loan guarantees, grants and tax credits in conservation and demand management programs. The funding for this program will come from savings realized through the elimination of funding to new nuclear reactors and associated transmission capacity. This plan will reduce energy usage in Ontario by 40% thus creating the conditions to phase out all-coal fired power plants in late 2009.

Additional comments: The Green Party of Ontario is committed to the phase out of all coal-fired power plants by 2009. 

Ontario’s coal-fired power plants are among Canada’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG). Through a dedicated approach to conservation and full support of renewable energy technologies, the Green Party of Ontario believes the province can significantly reduce GHG emissions in the energy field.   

Conservation programs will create the conditions that make coal generation redundant, and improvements to Ontario’s Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (SOP) will encourage more solar and wind production. 

Based on the 2004 Pembina Institute report Power for the Future: Towards A Sustainable Electricity System for Ontario, the GPO would encourage aggressive conservation* and would aim for a 40% reduction of our 2004 power usage by 2020. The Green Party of Ontario would like to see the demand for electricity in Ontario drop from the 2005 value of 138,890 GWh per year to 107,276 GWh per year in 2020. 

That translates to a per capita energy consumption level of roughly 8,250 kWh per year, still higher than European consumption levels of 6,000 kWh per capita.

To help address Canada’s Kyoto obligations, the Green Party of Ontario will: 

• Phase out all coal-fired power plants by late 2009.
• Invest $16 billion over 15 years through loan guarantees, grants and tax credits in conservation and demand management programs. The funding for this program will come from savings realized through the elimination of funding to new nuclear reactors and associated transmission capacity.
• Examine the effectiveness of the Conservation Bureau, and provide incentives for Ontario citizens to choose energy-efficient appliances and retrofit their homes.
• Phase out all natural gas and oil power generation by 2020 except in areas where no other alternative exists.
• Phase out all nuclear power plants by 2025 by prohibiting the construction of new reactors or the refurbishment of existing ones.
• Work with municipalities to create renewable energy zones where wind projects will be preapproved for environmental impact assessments.
• Tie Renewable Energy SOP payment rates to the Ontario Consumer Price Index and create a sliding scale for wind power based on wind availability at the build site. In addition, raise the SOP payment rate for photovoltaic systems to $0.50 per kWh from $0.42, and to $0.24 from $0.11 for all other technologies, for the first 10 years.
• Remove the 10 MW cap on SOP projects.
•  Work with utility agencies to make the SOP process more accessible to private owners. This includes reviewing the Electricity Distributors’ Connection Agreement with Ontario Energy Board, reducing application filing fees for grid interconnection with local distribution companies (LDCs) or Hydro One, mandating a maximum of 60 days decision time on grid interconnection filings with LDCs or Hydro One, and guaranteeing right of access for transmission and distribution where financially viable.
• Negotiate with the federal government to allow a capital cost allowance of 100% in the first year for photovoltaic systems mounted on commercial structures.
•  Mandate the integration of conservation and environmental awareness into the common curriculum of both elementary and high schools in the province.

Next Green response.

 Question #2: Do you support a ban on Ontario Power Generation's non-emergency, coal-fired electricity exports to the USA?

Liberal Party
Progressive Conse rvative Party
New Democratic Party
Green Party
 

Li beral Party: No.

North America's electricity market is intricately linked - Ontario exports electricity to neighbouring states and provinces and we also import electricity from those same jurisdictions. We all rely on each other to ensure a stable electricity supply. If Ontario unilaterally cut off electricity exports, other jurisdictions could begin to unilaterally cut off exports to Ontario during times when we require additional power. Instead, Ontario Liberals are focusing on our plan to phase out all coal-fired electricity.

Progressive Conservative Party: No.

Our energy grid in Ontario is integrated with other provinces and our neighbours to the south. When we export energy to the U.S. there is no way of choosing and diverting electrons by source. Every year we ask for power from our neighbours when we run out of it at home — it is only fair that we return the favour when they are in need. At the same time, we must work with the U.S. to collectively reduce our use of coal and clean up the coal we are using — the health and environmental costs are too great to ignore.

New Democratic Party: Yes.

The NDP believes that Ontario should ban non-emergency coal-fired power exports while ramping up its own efficiency and conservation efforts to avoid the need for coal-fired power imports on peak demand days.

Green Party: Yes.

While Ontario is able to export electricity, we are not able to export our pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Providing dirty energy to the United States is not only a bad environmental program, it also has negative economic consequences to Ontario through increased health care costs and lost work due to illness caused by poor air quality.

What OCAA says about these measures

Ontario's four remaining coal-fired generating stations are the province's largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions that drive dangerous climate change. Real action to reduce the threat of climate change and improve air quality means quickly finishing the job of phasing out coal.

Since 2003, Ontario has cut coal use for electricity generation by 32%. With many new cleaner generation sources — such as wind, solar, water, biomass and high-efficiency natural gas-fired generators — set to come on line, Ontario’s need for coal-fired electricity can be eliminated by 2010. In fact, Ontario already exports 20% of the dirty coal power it produces to the United States.

Ontario can save on the enormous health and productivity costs of burning coal by creating a clean, green electricity system that puts conservation and efficiency first. Ontarians currently use 60% more electricity per person than our neighbours in New York State. That’s not a good recipe for a stable climate, a cleaner and healthier environment or a productive economy. We have to get smart about electricity use while shutting down dirty coal.

Exports add to problem

In 2006, Ontario exported 20% of the coal-fired electricity it produced to the United States. These exports are not necessary to keep our neighbour’s lights on. Rather, Ontario Power Generation is simply selling surplus coal power to the highest bidder in the U.S. to increase its profits. More than 100 Ontarians died in 2006 thanks to the pollution caused by coal-fired power exports that earned Ontario Power Generation (OPG) an extra $104 million in profits — or roughly 77 cents per month for each residential customer if the money was fully rebated to consumers.