After days of itchy eyes and sore throats caused by smoke-filled skies – Ontario recorded the worst air quality in the world on June 6th – we are sorry to have to tell you that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is determined to make things worse.
Our publicly owned utility wants to build yet another large gas plant to pollute our skies, contributing even more greenhouse gases to the climate crisis that has already led to larger and more intense wildfires. This time, OPG is targeting the former site of the Lambton coal-fired generating station near Sarnia, with a plan to build an up to 500-megawatt gas-fired peaker plant.
Fortunately, there are many cleaner and much lower cost alternatives to meet short-lived spikes in electricity demand – such as paying industries to shift some of their electricity demand from peak to off-peak periods (80 to 92% lower cost), and getting homeowners to sign up for the very cost-effective Peak Perks program (get your prepaid credit card now!).
We could also take advantage of the former power plant’s site to build: a) a battery energy storage system; b) a large solar farm and/or c) to connect a Lake St. Clair offshore wind farm to the provincial electricity grid.
A battery energy storage system could meet the spikes in Ontario’s electricity demand at a 60% lower cost than a new gas plant.
A solar farm on OPG’s 1,166 acre site could produce enough electricity to power 21,000 homes at a cost that is 75% to 80% lower than the cost of new nuclear reactors.
A Lake St. Clair offshore wind farm could produce enough electricity to power 766,000 homes at a cost that is 40 to 60% lower than new nuclear reactors.
We outline the advantages of all of these solutions in our new report: Lambton’s Electricity Future: Wind, Solar & Battery Storage or More American Gas?
Economically and environmentally, all of these choices are better than building another polluting gas plant. They can provide power at a lower cost, which will help industries struggling with tariff damage, while also reducing the emissions that are creating the conditions for the terrible smoke we are experiencing right now.
And there is also the issue of energy security: Why would we want to increase our dependence on American gas imports that could be stopped by an erratic American president? Why are we not taking advantage of made-in-Canada renewable energy by strengthening our east-west grid instead?
We need to tell OPG enough is enough. By adopting a robust mix of modern energy solutions, OPG can help lower costs for consumers and businesses while also doing something good for our climate.
Please tell OPG’s CEO, Nicolle Butcher that it’s time to commit to a modern renewable energy future.
Thanks for helping protect Ontario.