The Problem
Ontario prides itself on having a mostly clean electricity supply due to ending the use of highly polluting coal power. But Ontario’s electricity supply is about to get a lot dirtier.
Ontario is massively ramping up the use of “natural” gas – a fossil fuel – to generate electricity. Gas power creates greenhouse gas emissions which are bad for the climate and release nitrogen oxides which are harmful to human health. Gas is also mostly methane – a potent greenhouse gas that is contributing to climate change.
The Solution
Ontario needs to phase out, not ramp up the use of fossil gas to generate electricity. Ontario must invest in clean solutions like solar and wind, along with battery storage which allows the energy to be used when needed.
The federal government has promised a net-zero electricity grid by 2035 – but Ontario is pushing back. Tell the Federal government to stand firm.
Where Gas Plants Could Be Built
Ontario has a large fleet of gas plants. There are plants around the GTA in Halton Hills, Brampton, and Toronto and a number are dispersed throughout the province in places such as Napanee and the Windsor area, for example. These plants were designed as peaker plants which are only intended to operate a few hours per month when electricity demand is high, but they are being used and polluting a lot more than expected.
To make matters worse, now the province wants to build even more plants in Windsor, St. Clair Township and Napanee. These gas plants could cost us a lot of money because they could be obsolete in 2035 when new federal regulations come into force.
In the Greater Toronto Area, the gas plants in Brampton, Halton Hills and Toronto are already among the region’s biggest polluters.
Ontario must phase out – not ramp up – fossil gas power.
BRAMPTON'S GOREWAY GAS PLANT
- Brampton's largest emitter of greenhouse gases which are bad for the climate
- Brampton's third largest emitter of nitrogen oxides which are harmful for human health.
- The GTA's fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases
THE HALTON HILLS GAS PLANT
- Halton Hills' largest emitter of greenhouse gases which are bad for the climate
- Halton Hills' largest emitter of nitrogen oxides which are harmful for human health
- The GTA's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases
TORONTO'S PORTLANDS GAS PLANT
- Toronto's largest emitter of greenhouse gases which are bad for the climate
- Toronto's largest emitter of nitrogen oxides which are harmful for human health
- The GTA's fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases
Take Action
At a time when we urgently need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Ontario is planning to increase them by using significantly more polluting fossil gas to generate electricity.
Take action and tell the Ontario government to phase out gas plants.
Blogs
Greenhouse gas pollution from Ontario’s gas plants are set to increase by over 400 per cent by 2030 and by almost 800 per cent by 2040.
But it doesn’t have to be this way – there are solutions including renewable energy, energy storage and energy efficiency.
Read about Ontario’s plan and how we can stop it
GET INVOLVED
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