We have all heard the term “NIMBY” – Not In My Back Yard. It is a growing problem in Ontario for electrical generation. When the Ford government came into power in 2018, it gave municipalities across the province the ability to veto electrical generation projects, when the government rescinded the green energy program, which was developed by the previous government. It was Ford’s answer to green energy developed through wind turbine and solar energy.
It has already started to haunt the Ford government. The most recent action came from the Halton Hills government which refused to allow Atura Power to expand its existing plant. It has also happened in Kingston, Toronto, and Brampton. The IESO (Independent Electrical System Operators) of which Fort Frances is a member has projected that by 2025 the province will need 4000 megawatts of electricity generated by gas turbines and another 5000 megawatts of power generated by wind and solar. Ontario currently has maxed out at 22,000 megawatts of electricity.
The population across southern Ontario is growing. There are increased demands for power. And vetoing power for the immediate future will impact their decisions today.
It is a tall order to fill with dwindling options. Green energy also calls for the construction of new nuclear energy facilities which today supply 40% of Ontario’s power. The problem is that it takes a decade though planning, design, hearings, and construction to bring a new facility onto the grid. In the meantime, the easiest solution is natural gas.
As the country turns increasingly to electrical energy, every town and city across Canada will have to come to grips with having adequate power for its citizens to heat and cool homes year-round. It will require long-term strategies with some short-term solutions such as gas turbines.
It will require some large increases in the price of electricity as that energy replaces gasoline powered cars. The carbon, provincial and federal taxes we now pay to gas our cars and trucks will be added to the costs of electricity to power our vehicles. Those costs will follow us across provincial borders as electrical filling stations will be needed on routes across the country and those filling stations will be created by provincial governments. The taxes on energy for transportation vehicles will be applied to maintenance and construction of our roads in municipalities, towns, and cities.
In Ontario, thirty-five cities have called on the government to totally phase out natural gas power generation. They have not provided an alternative. Those cities and the provinces will have to produce solutions to meet their citizens’ needs. It may include creating their own small grids, promoting energy efficiency in homes, encouraging more walking, cycling and more public transportation.
