More Climate Backtracking from Canada’s Federal Government
News from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a non-profit advocate for environmental protection in Ontario
Posted March 12th, 2024 on Niagara At Large
The federal government appears poised to undercut one of its own signature climate initiatives.
This time, the government is proposing changes that will significantly weaken its proposed Clean Electricity Regulations (CERs), which were supposed to deliver a net zero-carbon electricity system across Canada by 2035.
The proposed regulations will not clean up Ontario’s increasingly gassy grid: They will not require any reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from any gas plant before 2035; new plants won’t be subject to any limits until they are at least 20 years old; and gas plants can be used freely during “emergencies” with no requirement to reduce emissions in other periods to offset their increased emergency period emissions.
The impact of these watered-down regulations is that greenhouse gas emissions from gas-fired electricity generation in Ontario as of 2035 could be more than three times the 2017 level.
That’s unacceptable, especially given the Ford government’s determination to increase gas burning [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/campaigns/gas/] while it pursues expensive and risky nuclear [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/campaigns/nuclear/] projects and makes a much too modest effort to finally add more renewable power [https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/spotlight/lets-triple-wind-and-solar-in-ontario-8409824] to the provincial system.
At a minimum, the final CERs should require that GHG emissions from Ontario’s gas plants be kept at or below their 2017 level.
In fact, this province could eliminate the need for polluting gas by tripling its solar and wind [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/triple/] capacity by 2035.
Tripling solar and wind is a cost-effective way for the province to meet its electricity needs at a time when ways to store variable renewable power are multiplying (and also dropping in cost) – such as stationary and mobile (EV) batteries [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Avoid-New-Gas-Plants-INTERACTIVE-jan-16-copy.pdf], thermal storage, and coordination with Quebec’s massive reservoir system [https://ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper/two-way-trade-in-green-electrons-deep-decarbonization-of-the-northeastern-u-s-and-the-role-of-canadian-hydropower/].
To learn more please click here [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/clean-electricity-regulations-will-not-stop-increased-gas-burning/] to download our new report: The Revised Draft [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/clean-electricity-regulations-will-not-stop-increased-gas-burning/]– Federal Clean Electricity Regulations and Ontario Gas Power. [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/clean-electricity-regulations-will-not-stop-increased-gas-burning/]
The federal NDP needs to tell the Liberal government that this weak effort is simply not good enough.
Now that the parties have achieved much of what they agreed to in their Supply and Confidence Agreement, it’s time for the NDP to put the pressure on the Liberals to walk their talk on climate.
And it’s time for the Liberals to stop listening to those who claim climate action is an economic problem when it’s clear we will be economically better off with lower-cost solar and wind [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/options2024-march.pdf].
Send your message here [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/cer2/] to Canada’s Environment Minister Guilbeault, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, as well as your MP and Environment and Climate Change Canada which is accepting feedback on their revised draft Clean Electricity Regulations until March 15th .
Click here to send an email [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/cer2/]
Thank you for using your voice.
Angela Bischoff, Director, Ontario Clean Air Alliance
The Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA), established in 1997, successfully led the campaign to phase out the use of dirty coal power in Ontario. We are now working to move our province to a 100% renewable electricity system. This includes replacing our high-emission gas power plants and high-cost nuclear power stations with a combination of conservation, made-in-Ontario wind and solar power, and water power imports and storage from Quebec. Together these would lower our electricity bills and greenhouse gas pollution. For more info click on : CleanAirAlliance.org OntarioClimateAction.ca
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