Because Ontario is still developing its clean energy economy, it is difficult to calculate exactly how many jobs have been created and will be created through the Green Energy Act. However, there is no question the legislation is creating jobs:

The Blue-Green Alliance has developed a map of existing and proposed jobs at the 40 new manufacturing facilities in Ontario that have been announced. This summer, ClearSky Advisors released studies estimating that by 2011, solar energy in Ontario generated two billion dollars of private sector investment and 8,200 jobs, and they estimate that solar PV energy itself is will create 70,000 jobs in Ontario by 2018.

A recent Pembina Institute analysis found that all renewable energy technology, including energy efficiency, currently generates three to 10 times the number of jobs per hour of energy generated than fossil fuels or nuclear (see table below).

TABLE: Job creation per hour of energy generation

Comparison of jobs created from various types of energy generation. Source: http://www.pembina.org/pub/2178

The potential for green energy investment and manufacturing in Ontario is only growing, meaning that this is one sector that will continue to generate jobs and economic stimulus now and in the future. Cancelling our green energy program and killing these jobs would be harmful to Ontario’s economy, which is faring well in tough times thanks in large part to the Green Energy Act.

In June, I toured parts of Ontario with a German farmer, Hans Feddersen, who has been living with more than 60 turbines in the fields of his local community for 20 years. After a few media interviews, the farmer expressed confusion and frustration because the questions were so focused on health issues — rather than the tremendous benefits of renewable energy.

According to Feddersen, Germany addressed those issues years ago; Feddersen said health concerns associated with wind energy “isn’t a topic anymore” in his country, which is leading the world in wind power production.

The first policies to form the German equivalent of Ontario’s Green Energy Act were instituted 20 years ago in Germany. Those policies have been updated and improved over time by successive governments on both ends of the German political spectrum. Similarly, Ontario’s Green Energy Act has room for improvement, and we can learn from Germany, where strong community involvement in the program has led to both profits for rural residence along with strong support.

While we recognize that renewable energy technologies — ranging from hydro, to biomass, to wind turbines — do have local impacts that need to be minimized and addressed through effective, local public consultations, fossil fuels pose a more serious threat to human health and the environment.

Even if Ontario stopped all new investment in renewable power today, electricity prices would continue to rise. This is due to the inevitable expense of upgrading our ageing electricity grid and building new power plants as old ones retire.

This recent Pembina Institute report compared how replacing renewable energy with power from fossil fuels would affect Ontario electricity prices. Click for more detail.

The Pembina Institute recently modeled these complex interactions for Ontario’s electricity system. Our report on that study, Behind the Switch, found that cancelling the Green Energy Act would likely result in a slightly slower price increase in the short term — saving the average household about the cost of a cup of coffee and a muffin per month. In the longer term, however, the Green Energy Act would result in cost savings for consumers, since the cost of renewables will continue to decrease every year, while the price of natural gas is forecast to continue increasing over the next 20 years.

Details of polling done by CANSIA and a great handout on solar

1. Contribute to the Green Energy and Green Economy Act’s Targeted 50,000 New Green Jobs.
2. Establish a World-Class Solar Manufacturing Hub in Ontario.
3. Contribute to the Environmental Sustainability of Ontario’s Energy Industry.
4. Attract Billions of $ in Private-Sector Investment to Ontario’s Economy.
5. Ensure a Reliable, Secure and Affordable Energy Supply for Ontario.

Working closely with its members, OSEA played a major role in this campaign taking it on the road to communities throughout Ontario to educate people about the need for such legislation and encouraging them to press their elected representatives to support a Green Energy Act. OSEA’s members and partners rose to the challenge issuing press statements supporting a Green Energy Act, petitioning the government and providing their input on what was needed in the legislation.

The OSEA road show was welcomed everywhere it went and the enthusiasm of the public for renewable energy was evident.

Once the legislation and its subsequent regulations were drafted, OSEA participated fully in the stakeholder engagement process, providing valuable insight derived from the experience of its members endeavoring to build renewable energy projects. Now that the Green Energy Act has been passed, OSEA will monitor how it is applied and its effectiveness, especially in supporting community power groups.

Stats and projections on the future of solar in Ontario and our opportunity going forward

Yesterday, Brad Duguid Ontario Minister of Energy did more than defend the Green Energy Act. Interviewed by Kristopher Stevens, Executive Director Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, Minister Duguid drew a future of Ontario with four healths that matter:

• A healthy environment for our children as coal burning power stations are phased out;
• A healthy electricity system that has not suffered brownouts nor blackouts nor needed large imports of high priced power this year - despite the record heat wave;
• A healthy jobs market that has already bounced back from the recession, thanks in large part to 20,000 new jobs in clean energy - the rest of the economy remains fragile;
• A healthy climate for investment - . Twenty billion dollars have already been invested in the new green economy in Ontario.