QUEEN’S PARK – NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns is welcoming a new report from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance which shows the McGuinty government could shut down the province’s coal plants today without compromising electricity supply thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preventing hundreds of pollution-related deaths a year.
“This report confirms the NDP’s position – that the McGuinty government’s delay of a coal phase-out until 2014 is unnecessary and unhealthy,” said Tabuns.
“The report shows yet again that even without coal, electricity supply in the province is sufficient to meet peak demand.”
The report urges the McGuinty government to immediately put the coal plants on standby reserve, and to only operate them in case of a power emergency or grid stabilization.
“Even on economic grounds, burning coal makes no sense. Instead of closing down coal plants, the McGuinty government provided almost $300-million dollars in subsidy to the Nanticoke and Lambton plants in the first nine months of 2009 alone,” said Tabuns.
“Skilled workers, managers and engineers working at Ontario Power Generation coal plants need to be redeployed into the renewable energy sector. Instead of losing this valuable work force, the McGuinty government should allow OPG to become a major player in renewable power development and use the talent we have in Ontario to make it happen,” he added.
