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Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Troy Patterson/Editor
Lucknow Central Public School marked its Terry Fox Run on Sept. 28, 2016, which saw students take in an assembly on the Canadian hero before heading out for a tour of the village and back. The
students excitedly bolted from the school grounds to get a head start on the run, following a briefing on safety from teachers. See more photos inside and online at lucknowsentinel.com
Ontario government suspends green energy plan, wind and solar projects
Blinking in the face of a
growing political backlash
against rising electricity
prices, Ontario is suspending
plans for more green energy.
The surprise announce-
ment by Ontario's Liberal
government on Sept. 27,
2016 — affecting wind, solar,
hydro and energy -from -
waste projects — is forecast
to save
the province billions of
dollars.
It comes after nearly a dec-
ade of the Liberals steadfastly
sticking to a controversial
green energy agenda that has
cost Ontarians billions of dol-
lars above market prices for
power and alienated many
people — especially in South-
western Ontario, where most
of the province's wind farms
are located.
At Queen's Park, the abrupt
move dominated questions in
the legislature, with the Pro-
gressive Conservatives saying
Ontario's high electricity rates
are driving businesses out of
the province.
"This government has
plowed ahead for years sign-
ing contracts for energy we
simply do not need," said
Opposition Leader Patrick
Brown. "The premier has
become the best minister of
economic development that
Pennsylvania and New York
has ever seen."
The Liberals began their
plunge into green power
shortly after taking office,
vowing to close Ontario's dirty
coal-fired power plants and
replace them with thousands
of wind turbines — many,
operated under sweetheart
contracts that pay companies
far more than consumers pay
— and solar energy panels.
Admitting the suspension
was a difficult decision, Energy
Minister Glenn Thibeault said
he made the call after receiving
an outlook report Sept. 1 from
the Independent Electricity Sys-
tem Operator (IESO) that
indicated Ontario will have
enough generation capacity to
meet its needs for at least a
decade.
Under instructions from
Kathleen Wynne's govemmen1,
the IESO had already launched
another round of green energy
procurement with 59 compa-
nies lining up to take part in
plans to add another 1,000
megawatts of electricity.
Thibeault said the report
made it clear the extra green
energy isn't needed.
"By putting our finger on
the pause button it allows
me to save $3.8 billion for
ratepayers, and that's pretty
significant in terms of
helping ratepayers right
across the province," Thi-
beault said in an interview.
Savings from the suspen-
sion work out to about $2.45
a month for Ontario house-
holds, according to the
Ontario Energy Ministry.
The decision does not affect
green energy projects already
approved, including the
Strong Breeze Wind Project
planned for Dutton-Dunwich
in Elgin County, where resi-
dents voted overwhelmingly
against the wind farm.
The government's handling
of the electricity file has come
under harsh review by the
province's own auditor
general, Bonnie Lysyk, who
last year found Ontarians paid
$37 billion extra for power
over the last eight years
because of the government's
decisions to ignore its own
planning process for new
power generation projects.
Lysyk found the electricity
portion of power bills rose by
70 per cent 2006 to 2014,
with the province going
against the advice of its own
power planning authority,
and warned power rates will
keep climbing, costing con-
sumers another $133 billion
extra over the next 17 years.
CONTINUED > PAGE 3
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