The Ontario Energy Minister, Brad Duguid, recently announced an expansion in new renewable energy projects capable of generating 2,500 megawatts of electricity powered by solar panels and wind turbines. This will provide power to 600,000 homes in Ontario and the minister says this is “the largest climate change initiative in all of North America”.
The Ontario government and Ontario Power Authority say that this project will bring in CDN$9 billion in renewable energy investments from the private sector and the premier promises this will create up to 50,000 new jobs in the province. This new project will see contracts awarded to a range of organisations such as first nations communities, major overseas corporations, and companies in the US and Canada.*Feed-In Tariff
This has all been made possible by the Ontario Government’s feed-in tariff (FIT) guarantee over the next 20 years, promising to pay between 13.5 cents per kilowatt hour (on-shore wind farms) and up to 80.2 cents per kilowatt hour (solar) for power fed into the Ontario Energy Grid. It is acknowledged that this will eventually raise electricity prices for every household, but is designed to promote a stable platform for investment in renewable technologies.
The Ontario Energy Board, which regulates the cost of electricity estimates that the average household, using about 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, can expect to see an increase of about $5 each month as a result of these projects. Increases will continue into 2011 and 2012, however, this program will allow Ontario to shut down its 5 remaining coal fired power plants by 2014 which will be a truly significant achievement and show other regions in the world that it is possible.
Combating Climate Change
Most people in Ontario are not disputing these increases and stand by the government’s strong decision to combat climate change without delay. These timelines are a good example of what can be achieved if responsible politicians are serious about their climate change policies. CEOs and politicians alike from around the world have praised Ontario’s plan and targets.
More than 10 years ago, Germany initiated feed-in tariffs for solar energy spawning a huge growth in renewable energy generation. Today Germany leads the world in solar energy production and was used as a template in developing the Ontario Green Energy Act.
Coal Mining Destiny
Australia is the world's biggest coal exporter, and black coal is Australia's largest export, worth more than AUS$50 billion in 2008-09. Burning coal is arguably the most significant cause of carbon emissions in our atmosphere that contributes to climate change and global warming, and in Australia we lead the way.
We are a nation that takes pride in our exports and have a rambunctious mining industry. The potential threat of eliminating coal exports in Australia could cause a serious economic meltdown, however, why aren’t we trying to offset our coal reality with much stronger renewable energy initiatives in a much shorter period of time? We are still causing more harm than good and must find a sustainable way to tip the scale, sooner, rather than later.
We can learn a lot from other countries by watching how they tackle these issues and understanding that consumers must take some responsibility in helping government achieve their climate change goals if any real, sustainable change is to occur.
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