Draft Template for Municipal Resolution Calling for Gas-Fired Electricity Generation Phase-Out

Background

The Government of Ontario is planning to from Ontario’s gas-fired power plants by more than 300% by 2025 and by more than 400% by 2040 to replace the output of the Pickering Nuclear Station (scheduled to close in 2024). This plan will throw away more than a third of the greenhouse gas reductions Ontario achieved by phasing-out its dirty coal-fired power plants.

To support this massive increase in fossil fuel electricity and climate-threatening greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution, the provincial government recently at a cost of $2.8 billion.

Greenhouse gas pollution is causing temperatures in Canada to rise at the rate in the rest of the world, causing adverse impacts for the citizens of [insert name of municipality]. ( Insert specifics about relevant risks to municipality such as forest fires, flooding, agricultural failures, public health impacts, etc.)

[insert name of municipality] has declared a Climate Emergency and is taking measures to reduce its greenhouse gas pollution. (Insert specifics about relevant advisory committee, activities such as Climate Action Plan, Community Energy and Emissions Plan, and achievements.)

The planned increase in GHG pollution will reduce the effectiveness of [insert name of municipality]’s climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. It will decrease the effectiveness of electrification programs (deep building retrofits, EV programs) due to increased GHGs associated with electricity, discourage development of distributed renewable energy initiatives, delay municipal transition to the clean economy of the future, and prevent Ontario from meeting its GHG reduction commitment.

Ontario can phase-out its gas-fired power plants by 2030 by an integrated combination of energy efficiency investments, wind and solar energy and Quebec water power. The costs of the alternatives to gas-fired generation are the price Ontario Power Generation’s current price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for power from nuclear plants (9.5 cents per kWh).

Ontario can increase its investments in quick-to-deploy and low-cost energy efficiency programs. Ontario can cost-effectively maximize its energy efficiency efforts by paying up to the same price for energy efficiency measures as it is currently paying for power from nuclear plants.

Ontario can become a leader in developing increasingly low-cost renewable energy resources rather than investing in high-cost nuclear re-builds. Ontario should support renewable energy projects that have costs that are below what we are paying for nuclear power and work with communities to make the most of these economic opportunities.

Quebec has offered Ontario 24/7 power from its massive water power system at less than one-half the cost of the planned re-buildings of the aging Darlington and Bruce Nuclear Stations.

In addition, Quebec’s system of hydro-electric reservoirs can be used like a giant battery to provide load balancing/back-up for Ontario’s intermittent sources of renewable energy.

Ontario can benefit from making long-term electricity deals with its green energy-rich neighbour.