The Kanata-Carleton Liberal, NDP and Green Party provincial by-election candidates are opposed to the Government of Ontario’s plans to expand the generation capacity of our existing gas-fired power plants and build new gas plants.
The PC candidate has not responded to our questionnaire.
According to a recent Royal Bank of Canada report, Ontario can avoid the need for new gas-fired generation capacity and save $500 million/year by investing in energy efficiency and demand management.
According to Karen McCrimmon, the Liberal candidate:
“During the past six years, the number of extreme weather events in the Ottawa area has been astounding. The flooding in 2017, 2019, and this spring. The derecho in 2022. Several tornados, including the one in Dunrobin in 2018. The tornado on Thursday that wreaked havoc on our neighbours in Barrhaven. In April, an ice storm resulted in thousands of residents in Ottawa-Gatineau being without hydro for days. In May, a severe windstorm caused another major power outage.”
According to Melissa Coenraad, the NDP candidate:
“The Ontario NDP has proposed practical solutions that would help fix our province’s electricity supply in the immediate term, including:
– Working with Quebec to increase our firm power commitments
– Take advantage of the large public sector building portfolio and offer subsidies to commercial buildings to reduce peak demand
– Work with municipalities to open cooling centre facilities for those without
– Investing in affordable, clean, renewable power.”
According to Steven Warren, the Green Party candidate:
“We can produce all the electricity we need without all that pollution, and we can do it cheaper. Solutions like wind and solar energy aren’t just futuristic dreams – they are real, clean, and cheaper than fossil fuels. By pairing these with ways to use energy more efficiently, we can reduce emissions, save our hard-earned money, and create good-paying, quality jobs.”
To read the candidates’ full responses to our questionnaire please click here.