“I’m seriously worried that our region will miss out on a significant economic opportunity if the Ontario government doesn’t stick to its renewable energy targets.” – Tom Rankin, CEO, Rankin Construction, Niagara, Ontario
Rankin Construction, Pumpcrete Join Province-Wide Coalition to Promote Renewable Energy and Protect Jobs in our Region
A Call-Out to the Ontario government from the Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario
Posted November 17th, 2016 on Niagara At Large
St. Catharines/Niagara, Ontario – Local business leaders Tom Rankin and Ken Williams called on the Ontario government (this November 16th_ to protect local jobs by ensuring that renewable energy remains a vital part of Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan.
Rankin, CEO of Rankin Construction on Martindale Road, and Williams, President of Pumpcrete on Progress Street, will be representing the newly formed Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario (REAO) at Ministry of Energy led consultations tonight at the Holiday Inn on Ontario Street in St. Catharines.
Together, Rankin Construction and Pumpcrete employ over 700 hundred people in the St. Catharines and Niagara Falls region.
Rankin and Williams will be making the following points to government officials:
1) Renewable energy helps to stabilize long-term energy costs.
2) Ontarians support renewable energy by wide margins, and are in favour of increased investment in renewable energy technologies.
3) Investment in renewable energy technology has resulted in the creation good paying jobs in the Niagara region. Since 2012, renewable energy has created over 1000 jobs in the region, and increased the regions employment capacity by a minimum of three hundred thousand working hours. This new work has a positive economic impact for the province and the municipalities that host renewable energy sites.
4) As Ontario moves toward the implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan, there is a projected increase in demand for energy and Ontario will need to meet this increase in a cost effective and carbon neutral way.
5) Ontario must stick to the target of 50 per cent renewables by 2025 if it is to maintain its place as a world leader in renewable energy in the face of stiff international competition from China and India.
6) Renewable energy is now as cost effective as other sources of energy. It is not the reason Ontarians have been facing higher hydro rates.
Quotes:
“Rankin construction has been located in St. Catharines since 1978 and I’m seriously worried that our region will miss out on a significant economic opportunity if the Ontario government doesn’t stick to its renewable energy targets. Ontarians need clean and affordable energy and the people of St. Catharines need more well-paying jobs. Renewable energy needs to be at the core of the provincial Long-Term Energy Plan.” – Tom Rankin – CEO, Rankin Construction
“Renewable energy like wind is now equal in cost to traditional energy sources. India and China are investing billions of dollars into renewable energy industries. We can’t afford to lose any more ground.” –Ken Williams – President, Pumpcrete
Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario:
The Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario is a broad coalition of employers, labour and industry groups dedicated to working with the Ontario government to ensure renewable energy continues to play a vital role in Ontario’s energy mix. At present membership includes the following organizations:
- The International Union of Operating Engineers
- The Laborers’ International Union of North America
- The Ontario Crane Rental Association
- The Canadian Wind Energy Association
- The Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario
- Rankin Construction
- Pumpcrete
- Surespan Wind Energy
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“A politician thinks of the next election. A leader thinks of the next generation.” – Bernie Sanders
Niagara At Large 
I couldn’t agree more about the need to support and encourage the growth of renewable energy with all the related benefits in terms of employment and research into other forms. The diversity demonstrated in the Coalition should speak loudly enough to convince even the most intransigent government. The question is why has this blatantly obvious potential been ignored for so long? In whose interest is it to ignore this??? Who benefits from not moving forward vigorously on this? Clearly – it is not the “people” of Ontario. If there are valid scientific reason for the delay – explore them and address them. Serious questions which demand answers!
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Because the Niagara Region is outside the GHTA the Wynne Government has little to no concern for what is happening in this area.
Yes, the use of renewable resource to generate electricity is important. We only need to look to The Falls to recognize this fact. To overproduce electricity in order to create employment means “Let’s create work to make a profit”. The consumer pays – higher cost for electricity and subsidize the sale of excess electricity to neighbouring communities.
It is good to read that Rankin and Williams are concerned about keeping the people in the area working. However, I tend to think that they are using the potential work as a means of having the government guarantee profits for the companies.
It is a Catch 22. Provide employment for the people in the area which will create a higher cost for electricity or maintain the current cost of electricity which could lead to potential layoffs of workers. In my opinion, these companies are using the workers as a means to secure profits from the provincial government. They are saying the heck with the increased electric bills to the consumer.
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If you’re interested in Ontario’s energy, you can attend a government consultation on Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan, this evening, Nov. 17, at the Holiday Inn & Suites Parkway Conference at 327 Ontario Street, St. Catharines, at 6:00 p.m.
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