Ontario Power Generation wants to build a second large gas plant (265 megawatts) in Halton Hills. If OPG’s proposal is approved, the two Halton Hills gas plants will produce as much air pollution as 275,000 cars each year. This will lead to more illnesses (e.g., asthma attacks, heart and lung diseases) for Halton and GTA residents and more climate damage everywhere. (View presentation made by Dr. Mili Roy to Halton Hills Council for more on the health impacts of gas burning).
It doesn’t make sense to build a new polluting gas power plant in Halton Hills when we have much cleaner and lower cost options to meet our electricity needs.
According to the Royal Bank of Canada, Ontario can completely avoid the need for new gas plants and save $500 million per year by investing in technologies to increase our energy efficiency and shift electricity demand from peak to off-peak periods.
Ontario’s demand for electricity peaks on hot summer days when our air-conditioners are running full out. But Quebec’s demand for electricity peaks on cold winter nights since most of its homes are electrically heated. As a result, Quebec has a huge surplus of waterpower available to export to Ontario during the summer to power our air conditioners on hot summer days.
We can also avoid the need for new gas plants by investing in wind and solar energy. For example, offshore wind power deployed in the four Great Lakes bordering this province could meet all of Ontario’s electricity needs.
Fortunately, Energy Minister Todd Smith has stated that municipal approval is necessary for the building of new gas plants. This means that the Town of Halton Hills has the power to say “no” to Ontario Power Generation’s proposal to increase smog and climate pollution.
The people of Oakville, Mississauga, Thorold, Kingston and Loyalist Township have all stopped the building of polluting gas plants in their communities. Halton Hills residents can do the same.
Please send Mayor Ann Lawlor and Halton Hills Town Council a message urging them to vote against more polluting gas power in their community.