Episode 8: Does Ontario Really Need More Gas-Fired Power Plants?

The Ford government in Ontario has crafted a plan to not only build new gas-fired power plants in the province, but to also ramp up the use of our existing gas-fired plants, and that will mean giving back about half the gains that Ontario made by ending the use of dirty coal to generate electricity. Yet, in September 2022, Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator released a report entitled, Ontario’s Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Potential Study, prepared by Dunsky Energy and Climate Advisors. This report tells us that Ontario doesn’t need to increase its gas-fired energy capacity at all, and that we can meet our needs with a smart combination of distributed renewable power and efficiency programs instead... all while saving Ontarians $290 billion dollars. Taking Action: Take the Pledge for Climate Action (Ontario Green Party petition to Doug Ford to stop funding oil and gas projects): https://gpo.ca/climate/take-the-pledge/?source=C22.TTP.E.BTN Resources: Doug Ford government spent $231M to scrap green energy projects: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-green-energy-wind-turbines-cancelled-230-million-1.5364815 Why all of Canada will pay for Doug Ford’s choice to cancel Ontario’s cap-and-trade program: https://thenarwhal.ca/koch-sues-canada/ Ontario could be entering an energy supply crisis. Here’s what you need to know: https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-electricity-grid/ Ontario’s Coal Phase out: Lessons from a massive climate achievement: https://www.cleanairalliance.org/ontarios-coal-phase-out-lessons-from-a-massive-climate-achievement/ Costing the Cancellation of Cap and Trade: https://youtu.be/0y0nXLwQDJk Metrolinx removes electric vehicle chargers from GO station parking lots: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/metrolinx-ev-charging-stations-1.4972890 Electricity Systems Operator’s 2021 outlook: https://www.ieso.ca/en/Sector-Participants/Planning-and-Forecasting/Annual-Planning-Outlook Ontario’s Electricity Options: A Cost Comparison: https://www.cleanairalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/options2022nov.pdf Does Ontario Need New Gas Plants? https://www.cleanairalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/New-Gas-fact-or-fiction-sheet-oct-18-v_02.pdf Ontario’s Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Potential Study (The Dunsky Report): https://www.ieso.ca/-/media/Files/IESO/Document-Library/engage/derps/derps-20220930-final-report-volume-1.ashx IESO Annual Planning Outlook (Ontario’s electricity system needs: 2023-2042): https://www.ieso.ca/-/media/Files/IESO/Document-Library/planning-forecasts/apo/Dec2021/2021-Annual-Planning-Outlook.ashx IESO Recommends Shift to Grid-Scale Storage in Ontario, Relying on Natural Gas Expansions to Ensure Reliability in Near-Term: https://www.ieso.ca/Corporate-IESO/Media/News-Releases/2022/10/Grid-Scale-Storage-in-Ontario-Natural-Gas-Expansions-to-Ensure-Reliability-in-Near-Term Distributed Energy Resources: https://www.ieso.ca/en/Learn/Ontario-Electricity-Grid/Distributed-Energy-Resources Why is Ontario spending billions on nuclear energy when cheap renewables are available? https://sppga.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2021/10/Why-is-Ontario-spending-billions-on-nuclear-energy-when-cheap-renewables-are-available_-%E2%80%93-Canadian-Dimension.pdf Written and narrated by Art Lightstone Music: Feels, by Patrick Patrikios As Time Passes, by Zapsplat Atmospheria, by Francis Preve Investigations, by Kevin MacLeod Movement, by Dave Miles Half Cool, by Gemini Dulce Reggaeton, by An Jone Cryogenic, by Zapslat No pressure, by Zapsplat Rapid Turnaround, by Zapsplat Deep in Thought, by Zapsplat Still Learning, by Dave Miles Exploring, by Zapsplat Make You Move, by Ofshane