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.

Ontario has taken the laudable step of closing down its entire fleet of coal-fired power plants — a move supported across partisan lines. This, however, is but one of the many changes that is coming to Ontario’s electricity system.  Tim Weis Director of renewable energy & energy efficiency, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the role that renewable energy could play in the future of electricity generation in Ontario.

The Pembina Institute’s detailed platform analysis compares the commitments the Ontario Liberal, NDP and Progressive Conservative parties have made on a range of sustainable energy priorities.

The analysis looks at where the parties stand on issues such as investing in renewable power generation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating incentives for energy conservation and expanding transit systems. The results identify clear leaders in building the province’s clean energy economy.

“Recently there has been much media attention paid to the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. Sometimes the information available is not complete, and sometimes it is not accurate. We want to help with some myth-busting.”

(Sept. 15, 2011, Toronto, ON) Responding to the growing discussion about the future of green energy in Ontario, the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) today unveiled a pair of television advertisements profiling the strengths and benefits of an Ontario-made green energy economy.

“There is a tremendous amount of fear-mongering going on right now about wind power in Ontario,” said Adam Scott, Green Energy Program Manager, Environmental Defence. “This report aims to introduce some real facts into the debate so that communities can make well informed decisions about wind projects.”

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.

“Truthiness is a ‘truth’ that a person claims to know intuitively “from the gut” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts.” Stephen Colbert

Cut through the disinformation and read the truth about Power Pricing:

- The difference between legacy hydro and built nuclear (minus the debt retirement charge) versus the cost of new generation

- The impact of green energy FIT contracts

- The real impact of Time of Use Pricing

Ontario is a pioneer in green energy in North America. We want the planet to take notice. OnSeptember 24, join us for Ontario’s first Green Energy Field Day, a grassroots surge that begins in your community and builds. That date was chosen to link up with the Moving Planet action day, when people in countries around the world host events to move the planet beyond fossil fuels.

Schools, community centres, businesses, farms in Ontario are all invited to host a “doors open” event to celebrate community-based green energy solutions. Be a champion in your community!