Toronto Mayoral Candidates 2010 Survey

The Ontario Clean Air Alliance asked 6 of Toronto’s leading mayoral candidates about their position on coal-fired power plants and combined heat and power for Toronto’s hospitals & multi-residential buildings. Below find their responses. Rob Ford and Giorgio Mammoliti did not respond to the survey.

Question 1. Should the City of Toronto ask the Government of Ontario to direct Ontario Power Generation to put its dirty coal plants on standby reserve now? That is, only operate them if they are absolutely needed to keep the lights on?

Joe Pantalone
Yes. Environmental stewardship and the importance of clean air are of utmost importance to the City of Toronto. I have been a leader in advocating for standard offer contracts to promote renewable energy, wind turbine and solar demo at the Exhibition Place. Renewable energy should be a top priority and coal generation must never be used again.

Rocco Rossi
Yes. We must work with the province to support the development of green power, so economies of scale create a cost effective solution and a viable alternative. Simply turning off coal is not the solution. We need to have a multi-phase plan that achieves this objective in the short term.

George Smitherman
As Mayor, I would pursue the reduction and elimination of coal just as I did when I was the Ontario Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. For example, I directed OPG to close 4 units (two at Lambton and two at Nanticoke) 4 years ahead of schedule. Today, coal-fired generation is the lowest it has been in 45 years; down 70 percent since 2003. Last year 83 percent of Ontario’s supply came from emission-free sources. Phasing out the use of coal-fired generation is the single largest climate change initiative in North America.

That said, I recognize that Ontario’s largest coal plant, Nanticoke, is a significant contributor to the smog we have here in Toronto and that coal has been linked to be the cause of:
-- 668 premature deaths a year
-- 1100 emergency room visits a year
-- 928 hospital visits a year

As Mayor, I would make certain that the Provincial Minister and Cabinet do everything in their power to bring down emissions from that source. However, as your question suggests, we must not compromise system reliability, as keeping the lights on is just as important.

Sarah Thomson
The city and province need to work together on this issue. Greener alternatives are preferable and should always be a priority.

Question 2. Should the City of Toronto direct Toronto Hydro to work with hospitals, health care facilities, multi-residential buildings and factories in the City to quickly advance the development of combined heat and power systems? Such systems can use natural gas that is currently used just for heating to simultaneously produce both heat and electricity.

Joe Pantalone
Yes. The City of Toronto has been a leader in tri- and co-generation systems as demonstrated by the efforts of the Exhibition Place. Co-generation should be a key element of local and district power systems because it is not only efficient but significantly reduces energy consumption.

Rocco Rossi
Yes. While I intend to monetize Toronto Hydro if elected (with the proceeds being used to build green infrastructure such as expanded mass transit), I support this initiative. Agencies and departments should be aligned to work with each other. With respect to combining heat and power, we should not only look to hospitals, residential buildings and factories, but broaden our targets to schools, convention centres, public pools, airports and sports arenas. Its a win-win approach.

George Smitherman
I appreciate this suggestion and, as Mayor, would ask the City to find greater opportunities to increase efficiencies and reduce emissions when producing heat and energy. This includes using renewables such as solar, as well as CHP, geothermal, solar thermal and innovative energy management tools and improvements to the building envelope (e.g. LEED standard). My environmental plan will include an action plan that specifically maps out, promotes and facilitates development of CHP opportunities. We need to generate more of our own low-impact or zero-emission electricity and with the new framework provided by the GEA I believe that Toronto Hydro is a very important strategic asset in this regard.

However, Toronto Hydro has recently been given more responsibility for achieving conservation and energy efficiency improvements in the commercial/residential sector, is pursuing a major program to develop 500 Mw of renewable electricity in the City, and is building the 'smart grid' for Toronto that we know is essential for our future energy system. Toronto Hydro also has day-to-day responsibility for one of North America's largest grids. Their list of priorities is long and growing and it impacts on their ability to raise revenue, pay down debt, and pay dividends to the City. If elected I would ask the corporation to prioritize these important projects - including CHP in the institutional context. The important factor is to develop the most affordable methods of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and smog, while providing affordable electricity and energy services to Torontonians, and in a manner that build toward the ultimate goal of fostering an economically beneficial and sustainable green energy system for the City.

Sarah Thomson
Yes. This is one of many reasons why I do not support the sale of Toronto Hydro. If we sell it, we have no say in how it is managed.