Do we need the proposed new Bruce Transmission Line?

April 16, 2007

Last year the McGuinty Government established its innovative standard offer program which pays individuals, farmers, co-ops and companies 11 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity from small-scale renewable power projects.

Unfortunately, the Ontario Power Authority is refusing to purchase electricity from green power projects in the Bruce County (Lake Huron) area because Hydro One does not have sufficient transmission capacity to bring all of the Bruce area’s potential nuclear and renewable electricity supplies to market during every hour of the year.

To alleviate this transmission bottleneck the Ontario Power Authority is recommending that Hydro One build a new $600 million transmission line that will only be needed to bring power from the Bruce area to southern Ontario consumers for a few exceptional days over a limited four-year period, namely, 2013 to 2017.  The Ontario Clean Air Alliance believes that there is a better alternative to meet our electricity needs.

A better alternative

1. The Ontario Power Authority should lift its moratorium on the purchase of renewable electricity from power projects in the Bruce area and instead encourage currently stalled projects in the area to move forward.  Ontario needs to obtain as much new, clean renewable electricity as it possibly can – as soon as it possibly can.  It makes no sense to refuse to purchase green power in the Bruce Area just because there may not be sufficient transmission capacity to bring 100% of the Bruce Area’s total electricity supplies to southern Ontario during every single hour of the 2013 to 2017 period.

2. Instead of spending $600 million to marginally increase the Bruce area’s total electricity exports to southern Ontario during exceptional days between 2013 and 2017, we should invest in more cost-effective options to meet our electricity needs such as energy conservation, renewable power and small-scale combined heat and power plants.

For more information please visit www.cleanairalliance.org and download our new fact sheet, A New Bruce Transmission Line: Does it make sense for Ontario?

Please pass this message on to your friends.

Thank you

Jessica Fracassi
Communications & Membership Manager
402-625 Church St, Toronto M4Y 2G1
Phone: 416-926-1907 ext. 245
Fax: 416-926-1601
Email: info@cleanair.web.ca
Website: www.cleanairalliance.org