Colour Us Green

The new initiatives of the Ontario Green Energy and Green Economy Act 2009 allow the McGuinty government to appear pretty serious about instilling green initiatives into our waning economy.

The ambitious $5-billion plan encourages the growth of renewable energy projects and pledges to reduce the lengthy and intensive process impeding development. The idea is to transform the province into one of the most attractive places for green energy investments.

While it’s exciting to see a vision of an electricity system that ranks environmental concerns alongside reliability, there’s too much talk of wind and solar power and not enough about micro/mini-hydro generation. There are hundreds of waterways and dams throughout Ontario that can be harnessed with minimal environmental impact. The Act claims to prioritize conservation and renewable power over the procurement of new traditional generation, but environmentalists are warning that the Act won’t help if the province sticks to its plan for nuclear power to provide 50 per cent of Ontario’s electricity needs. The province, on the other hand, reaffirms that the reliability of nuclear and hydro electricity is what gives it the confidence to venture into renewables.

Setting renewable power targets for the province is an objective, but critics say the legislation can only go so far without specifics. The Act is only a framework of things to come; the details will take months to work out.

One point the plan highlights is the importance of protecting the interests of First Nations and Metis. This is a timely concern for the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, considering the recent proposed changes to The Navigable Waterways Protection Act put forth without any input or consultation from the First Nations.

With regards to energy and water conservation, the Act repeals both The Energy Conservation Leadership Act, 2006, and The Energy Efficiency Act, and restates their provisions with modest modifications. Examples can be found at here. For household appliances and water use, the bill would require the use of Energy Star appliances as standard and require that households make efficient use of water. Homes would be required to have an energy audit prior to their sale, which some fear as an additional cost to selling their home in an already low housing market.

According to the Act, present proponents of a green energy project contributing more than two megawatts to the grid faces multiple approvals under the environmental regimes. Water resources, for example, requires approval in rural areas for sewage or stormwater management works, or both, under the Ontario Water Resources Act, and possibly also water taking approval.

Today’s tough credit environment is a significant challenge for renewable energy projects. Businesses, consumers and green energy experts across the province argue that the government should be focusing on strengthening the economy, citing the new initiative as a waste of time and money. However, supporters state the Act will strengthen the economy in the long run by creating 50,000 new jobs over the next three years. But that hardly makes up for the 71,000 jobs lost in January alone.

Premier McGuinty expects these ambitious changes, including the one percent increase to hydro bills, will encourage Ontarians to be mindful about their electricity needs and habits. He argues that the new regime is needed in order to change the way Ontario generates and transmits its electricity.

If every nuclear cloud has a silver lining, then perhaps McGuinty really does believe that this is a commendable way to equip people with the capacity to operate on less electricity. But is this merely a façade designed to make us think we’re moving away from old technologies, or is it actually the start of an enthusiastic reclamation of Ontario’s environment?

Kathleen Brown is an intern with Canadian Water Treatment.