Canadá : December 16, 2008
The vision: “To make Ontario a global leader in the development of renewable energy, clean distributed energy and conservation, creation of thousands of jobs, economic prosperity and energy security, and climate protection.”
The Ontario government is being urged by a coalition of environmental, farming, community and native groups to put the aforementioned vision in place by way of implementing the Green Energy Act. The Act would aim to give renewable energy and conservation priority in electricity system planning. It would also mean introducing renewable energy tariffs for purchasing one’s requirements. Programs would be established to help fund renewable energy projects with low capital and the adoption of smart grid technologies to incorporate renewable energy sources into the province’s electricity grid.
In 2006, the Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program was established as a progressive green energy initiative which set a precedent in North America. Later the same year, the Ontario Power Authority began work on the Integrated Power System Plan which was a 20-year plan designed to determine how Ontario’s electricity system will evolve. These were great starting points, but supporters of the Green Energy Act believe more needs to be done.
Currently, approximately 20 percent of Ontario’s electricity is from hydro sources. As the province attempts to phase out coal generation and maintain nuclear power as its steady baseline supply, the addition of wind, solar, biofuel and new hydro generation will be essential. The goal is to increase hydroelectric generation to reach 45 percent of Ontario’s total electricity production by 2025.
Supporters of the Green Energy Act believe that vision is key in making a faster transition to more renewable energy sources. They also firmly believe that a greener future holds the promise of economic growth with new “green collar” jobs being created.
As Rick Smith, the Executive Director of Environmental Defence and a supporter of the Green Energy Act says, “Unless Ontario proceeds in an expedited fashion, we’re going to be left in the dust.”