Bob Delaney
Member of Provincial Parliament
Mississauga-Streetsville Provincial Liberal Association
Riding Association Web Site
Wednesday February 22, 2012
29 days until spring!
Conservation, renewables, electricity supply all up

Long-term, affordable, sustainable electricity

Liberals: Keeping your lights on

Between 2004 and 2010, Ontario brought more new electricity generating capacity on-line than any other jurisdiction in North America. Since 2003, Ontario has installed more than 5,000 megawatts of new generating capacity. In eight short years, Ontario has moved to being a leader again in the generation and supply of electricity.

Eight dirty coal-fired electricity generating stations have been closed. In pollution terms, this is like taking seven million cars off the road. Ontario has brought on a total of 900 MW of new, clean energy, and invested in 5,000 kilometres of new and refurbished power lines to make for a secure transmission grid. Conservation initiatives have saved the energy system 1,700 MW.

  • The Lakeview Generating Station in Mississauga closed in April of 2005, and was destroyed in 2007. It is the pollution clean-up equivalent of taking half a million cars off the road;
  • Ontario has gone from virtually nothing to being a being North America's leader in renewable power in just eight years;
  • The Ontario Green Energy Act has attracted more than $20 billion of new, private-sector investment in the energy sector, and created more than 20,000 new jobs so far, including hundreds right here in Mississauga;
  • Since 2003, Ontario has reduced coal-fired electricity generation by 17 percent, cut carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent; reduced sulphur dioxide emissions by 28 percent and slashed nitrogen oxide emissions by 34 pecent;
  • Ontario now has a Feed-In Tariff (FIT) Program, a bold step that allows small, local renewable energy producers to get into the energy market, and provides cleaner energy to the Ontario grid;
  • The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit takes ten percent off your hydro bills for the next five years, more than the other parties are promising;
  • Ontario's renewable energy sector represents the most significant and profitable new business and jobs driver since the auto pact began the manufacturing industry for motor vehicles back in the 1960s. In the next few years, it is estimated that renewable energy firms will create some 50,000 new jobs in Ontario, and for Ontarians.

Tories: Hudak's h-u-g-e hydro hole!

  • Hudak's uncosted, unworkable energy policy is the object of justified ridicule for its massive $14.8 billion hole, as he thinks he can simply wish away the hydro debt that his own Conservative government created during the dark, Harris years;
  • Between 1995 and 2003, Ontario's installed generating capacity actually fell by six percent, even as electricity demand grew 8.5 percent;
  • Even as world-class renewable energy manufacturers such as Korea's Samsung come to Ontario and look to invest billion of their own money, Hudak proposes to chase them and the jobs they will create out of Ontario;
  • Smog days are almost gone from Ontario, as dirty coal is phased out as fuel to generate power. Hudak proposes to go back to polluting and dirty coal;
  • Appliance manufacturers need to have the next generation of fridges, washers, dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners and other things powered by electricity able to talk to the grid. The Hudak PCs would chase those manufacturing jobs out of Ontario too with an electricity policy that is just plain dumb!

NDP: Incompetent, ineffective

  • Voted against putting a price cap on electricity, and then voted against taking the same price cap off;
  • While the NDP governed Ontario, hydro rates went up by 40 percent;
  • Wasted $150 million in payments to cancel a badly-needed hydro lifeline from Manitoba to Ontario, a line that would be delivering cheap power today;
  • The NDP is simply opposed to building any new electricity generating capacity: from any source, anywhere, any time;
  • Voted against new conservation initiatives. Opposed the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit that takes ten percent off your electricity bill each month;
  • The NDP plan does not envision removing one cent from hydro bills until 2016. Your Liberal government has taken ten percent off now;
  • The NDP advocates keeping dirty coal-fired generation while speaking in the north, but advocates shutting it all down while speaking in southern Ontario.