Statement from Keith Brooks, Programs Director, Environmental Defence
Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Today’s announcement by Energy Minister Stephen Lecce is a significant and shocking reversal on electricity planning in Ontario.
By opening the LT2 procurement to natural gas, Minister Lecce is walking back the terms of the original procurement, which focused on 2000 MW of electricity generation from wind, solar and biomass.
Gas is a fossil fuel, and most of the gas used in Ontario is fracked. When we consider the full climate impacts of gas, including extraction, using gas to generate electricity is no better than using coal.
Gas is also expensive. In the recent LT1 procurement, battery energy storage beat out gas on price by a wide margin. In Ontario wind energy is now cheaper than natural gas for electricity production, with even greater cost savings expected in the future.
Communities are saying no to gas. In the LT1 procurement by IESO, the agency aimed to secure 1500 Megawatts (MW) of new gas. However, they did not reach their target due to strong community opposition against these polluting projects.
If the revised procurement is delivered by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in a “transparent, competitive and cost-effective manner”, then we should expect that wind and solar will make up the bulk of the new electricity generation procured in Ontario. If that’s not the case, then we must question how the process is weighted in favour of gas over renewables. The Minister’s move to entertain new gas plants is also at odds with Canada’s commitment to a net-zero grid by 2035. Canada’s forthcoming Clean Electricity Regulations are expected to phase out fossil fuel generation by 2035 effectively. We urge the Minister to rethink this procurement and for Canada to finalize its Clean Electricity Regulations and deliver on the promise of a net-zero grid.
Rather than building new gas plants and expanding existing facilities, Ontario needs to plan for the future and invest in affordable clean energy solutions which will reduce the province’s emissions and make electricity more affordable for people.
Find out more about Ontario’s gas problem here: NoMoreGasPlants.ca
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Midhat Moini, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
