Going 100% Renewable

The world added almost 50% more renewable energy capacity in 2023 as it did in 2022. But Ontario did not add a single kilowatt of wind and solar power. In fact, Ontario hasn’t added any solar and wind power to its electricity grid in more than five years.

Wind and solar are now the lowest cost options for meeting our electricity needs. That’s why the International Energy Agency says annual additions of solar and wind energy will more than double worldwide by 2028 compared with 2022.

It is time for Ontario to triple its solar and wind capacity. Offshore wind power in the Great Lakes alone could meet all of this province’s electricity needs.

We need to catch up with the rest of the world and start reaping the benefits of low cost, climate friendly solar and wind power.

Ontario is missing out by taking baby steps to expand solar and wind power instead of meeting our growing need for electricity with low cost solar and wind. Tripling our solar and wind power would allow us to phase-out polluting gas power and finally get serious about addressing our climate impact. Businesses and consumers will benefit with lower costs and cleaner power. It is time for Ontario to go green!

The other great thing about efficiency is that it is a huge job creator that can boost employment everywhere in Ontario. Services to retrofit homes and businesses and make them more efficient are going to be in high demand as we seek to lower our emissions. Developing skills and technology around these services is a global economic opportunity. It will also help to make our businesses more competitive while lowering bills.

Dozens of Ontario municipalities have joined us in calling on the province to phase-out gas-fired power plants. Recognizing that their cities will be ground zero for the impacts of climate change, these cities want to see the province to take action to eliminate the use of gas and lower climate-damaging emissions – not increase gas use.

This would only make sense if we had no other options, but we have many faster, lower cost ways to meet our electricity needs, none of which leave us with the enormous waste and safety concerns that also come with betting on nuclear.

Nuclear is yesterday’s technology – a technology that never fulfilled its promises of low cost or reliability and that has now been surpassed worldwide by renewable sources. Ontario is one of the few places in the world still banking on costly and slow nuclear projects to meet its electricity needs. We need to stop clinging to this outdated technology and join the rest of the world in going renewable.