Green Energy Action
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sault Ste. Marie supports the Green Energy Act
A warm welcome for green energy as the legislative committee hit the road with its first stop in Sault Ste. Marie yesterday to discuss the Green Energy Act. Sault Ste. Marie deputants overwhelmingly supported the government's vision for the proposed Green Energy Act.
Some highlights included: a local distribution company that welcomed the ability to develop and own renewable energy generation; a solar installation company that praised the government for speaking strongly against resistance to change; a First Nations energy group that supported the act for its jobs creation potential in northern communities; and steelworkers who were pleased with the potential to keep their mills in operation in the Sault.
There were also a number of suggestions for how to improve the Act. Recommendations included: ensuring that necessary investments in grid upgrades are not solely the burden of the renewable energy developers; better support for cooperatives and community owned projects; targeting diesel dependent communities; creating a feed-in tariff for heat from geothermal and other technologies; and the inclusion of mechanisms to support industrial innovation and local content.
Shortage of Energy Auditors
One notable exception to support for the Act was the Sault Ste. Marie Real Estate Board representative who cautioned that the lack of certified home energy auditors would be a barrier to implementation of the home energy auditing elements of the Act. While a real concern to rural Ontario home sellers, such obstacles are an indication of the job creation potential in
the Act.
During the committee hearings we are often seeing a somewhat polarized view of the Act's energy audit provisions but, curiously, objections are most vocally from people who make a living from selling homes, not people who are buying them. Either the audits are seen as a necessary step and a mechanism to allow home buyers to know the full cost of their purchase, or they are
seen as a tax that decreases the value of homes. The reality is that any serious home buyer would demand a home inspection to ensure the house is safe AND an energy audit to find out the real cost of owning the house. Yes, this is a new measure of value of a home but it is growing in popularity and, to ensure fairness to home buyers, must be mandatory.
Why are many of those selling us houses so scared of energy audits? The reason is that these new provisions would require them to disclose the true cost of the homes they are building and selling. Those people building and selling quality homes need not be concerned. Those cutting corners will be exposed as they continue to argue against energy audits that protect home
buyers and increase the value of quality properties.
Favourite quotes from the Sault
The Act "speaks strongly against resistance to change" (Northern Lights Energy Systems Ltd) and "is good for all Canadians" (Steelworkers - Essar Algoma Steel)
Finally, special recognition for Peter Tabuns' comments that likened the move towards renewable energy jobs to the introduction of cars that reduced jobs in the carriage industry, and the emergence of personal computers that reduced jobs in the manufacturing of typewriters (sorry, no quote without Hansard). What would Ontario do without these two industries? This was a brilliant and timely illustration of the short-sighted thinking that criticizes fostering a renewable energy industry in Ontario.
Next stop, London.
Mike Layton
Mike Layton is a program manager for Environmental Defence, a proud member of the Green Energy Act Alliance.
Some highlights included: a local distribution company that welcomed the ability to develop and own renewable energy generation; a solar installation company that praised the government for speaking strongly against resistance to change; a First Nations energy group that supported the act for its jobs creation potential in northern communities; and steelworkers who were pleased with the potential to keep their mills in operation in the Sault.
There were also a number of suggestions for how to improve the Act. Recommendations included: ensuring that necessary investments in grid upgrades are not solely the burden of the renewable energy developers; better support for cooperatives and community owned projects; targeting diesel dependent communities; creating a feed-in tariff for heat from geothermal and other technologies; and the inclusion of mechanisms to support industrial innovation and local content.
Shortage of Energy Auditors
One notable exception to support for the Act was the Sault Ste. Marie Real Estate Board representative who cautioned that the lack of certified home energy auditors would be a barrier to implementation of the home energy auditing elements of the Act. While a real concern to rural Ontario home sellers, such obstacles are an indication of the job creation potential in
the Act.
During the committee hearings we are often seeing a somewhat polarized view of the Act's energy audit provisions but, curiously, objections are most vocally from people who make a living from selling homes, not people who are buying them. Either the audits are seen as a necessary step and a mechanism to allow home buyers to know the full cost of their purchase, or they are
seen as a tax that decreases the value of homes. The reality is that any serious home buyer would demand a home inspection to ensure the house is safe AND an energy audit to find out the real cost of owning the house. Yes, this is a new measure of value of a home but it is growing in popularity and, to ensure fairness to home buyers, must be mandatory.
Why are many of those selling us houses so scared of energy audits? The reason is that these new provisions would require them to disclose the true cost of the homes they are building and selling. Those people building and selling quality homes need not be concerned. Those cutting corners will be exposed as they continue to argue against energy audits that protect home
buyers and increase the value of quality properties.
Favourite quotes from the Sault
The Act "speaks strongly against resistance to change" (Northern Lights Energy Systems Ltd) and "is good for all Canadians" (Steelworkers - Essar Algoma Steel)
Finally, special recognition for Peter Tabuns' comments that likened the move towards renewable energy jobs to the introduction of cars that reduced jobs in the carriage industry, and the emergence of personal computers that reduced jobs in the manufacturing of typewriters (sorry, no quote without Hansard). What would Ontario do without these two industries? This was a brilliant and timely illustration of the short-sighted thinking that criticizes fostering a renewable energy industry in Ontario.
Next stop, London.
Mike Layton
Mike Layton is a program manager for Environmental Defence, a proud member of the Green Energy Act Alliance.
Labels: committee hearings, energy auditors, Green Energy Act, Sault Ste. Marie
¶ 11:06 AM 0 Comments
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Smitherman appears as Green Energy Act hearings heat up
Good thing the air conditioners were working in committee room 228 at Queen's park on Wednesday, because the Green Energy Act hearings warmed up as deputants pressed for combined heat and power to be included in the Green Energy Act.
In response to a question from the committee, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Smitherman suggested that combined heat and power might have a home in the Green Energy Act. Good timing, as the Minister's comments were followed by a series of deputants echoing the need for combined heat and power as a means of allowing industry in Ontario to benefit from greening their current operations and generating electricity to feed into the grid.
Following the Minister’s comments, Green Energy Act Alliance Campaign Chair Deb Doncaster and Lawyer David Poch praised the Act for being world class and a first in North America. They did however, make numerous recommendations on how the Act could be improved. These recommendations included: how to charge project developers and communities for connecting to the grid, the need for combined heat and power to be included in the Act, and that the Act itself should require renewable energy FITs and not leave this crucial element to the Minister's discretion.
Upgrading our 8-tracks to Ipods
A defining moment of the hearings was at the expense of the Clean Affordable Energy Alliance, well known for supporting coal and nuclear power. "We're at a point of technological change," said Peter Tabuns, energy critic for the NDP, after the deputant's presentation suggesting that renewables weren’t up to the challenge. Tabuns’ statement clearly illustrates the opportunity the Green Energy Act is going to capitalize on. Let's not be last to upgrade our 8-tracks to Ipods.
Winner, Most Dramatic Cliché
PC MPP O'Toole wins today’s award for dramatic use of a cliché for joking that Europeans must be "shivering in the dark" as a result of their energy conservation. Clearly, the Green Energy Act will return us to the stone age and efficiency is tantamount to taking a step backwards in time. Personally, efficiency looks a lot more like progress.
Nuclear, blowing in the wind!
In anticipation of the committee hearing, Greenpeace brought a banner on a U-Haul trailer to Queen’s Park, urging the minister not to invest in nuclear at the expense of renewable generation. The wind was so powerful Wednesday that it threatened to blow the banner away. Proving that once again, wind power can overcome nuclear.
Mike Layton
Mike Layton is a program manager for Environmental Defence, a founding member of the Green Energy Act Alliance.
In response to a question from the committee, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Smitherman suggested that combined heat and power might have a home in the Green Energy Act. Good timing, as the Minister's comments were followed by a series of deputants echoing the need for combined heat and power as a means of allowing industry in Ontario to benefit from greening their current operations and generating electricity to feed into the grid.
Following the Minister’s comments, Green Energy Act Alliance Campaign Chair Deb Doncaster and Lawyer David Poch praised the Act for being world class and a first in North America. They did however, make numerous recommendations on how the Act could be improved. These recommendations included: how to charge project developers and communities for connecting to the grid, the need for combined heat and power to be included in the Act, and that the Act itself should require renewable energy FITs and not leave this crucial element to the Minister's discretion.
Upgrading our 8-tracks to Ipods
A defining moment of the hearings was at the expense of the Clean Affordable Energy Alliance, well known for supporting coal and nuclear power. "We're at a point of technological change," said Peter Tabuns, energy critic for the NDP, after the deputant's presentation suggesting that renewables weren’t up to the challenge. Tabuns’ statement clearly illustrates the opportunity the Green Energy Act is going to capitalize on. Let's not be last to upgrade our 8-tracks to Ipods.
Winner, Most Dramatic Cliché
PC MPP O'Toole wins today’s award for dramatic use of a cliché for joking that Europeans must be "shivering in the dark" as a result of their energy conservation. Clearly, the Green Energy Act will return us to the stone age and efficiency is tantamount to taking a step backwards in time. Personally, efficiency looks a lot more like progress.
Nuclear, blowing in the wind!
In anticipation of the committee hearing, Greenpeace brought a banner on a U-Haul trailer to Queen’s Park, urging the minister not to invest in nuclear at the expense of renewable generation. The wind was so powerful Wednesday that it threatened to blow the banner away. Proving that once again, wind power can overcome nuclear.
Mike Layton
Mike Layton is a program manager for Environmental Defence, a founding member of the Green Energy Act Alliance.
Labels: committee hearings, conservation, Green Energy Act, nuclear
¶ 4:51 PM 0 Comments
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Green Energy Act Committee Hearings Power Up
Rarely has a Queen's Park committee heard so much agreement from such a diverse range of stakeholders. On Monday, the first day of the committee hearings in Toronto, an overwhelming number of presenters from environment groups, industry associations, and the investment community filled a committee room, singing the praises of the Green Energy Act. These groups are not only agreeing on the positive direction of the proposed Act, but on changes that should be made to improve it.
Scholar and environmentalist Dr. Jose Etcheverry praised the Act as the most effective climate change mitigation action being taken in Canada and perhaps North America. While this is not surprising to many of us, it is a good reminder of the importance of the Green Energy Act as Ontario leads Canada’s charge to Copenhagen, where the world will gather to lay out the post-Kyoto plan to combat climate change.
The cement sector showed up to support the Act and make the push for expanding it to include sources of green heat, such as combined heat and power and geothermal, to reduce the impacts of their operations. The aggregate industry wants to go green!
Excited about all the possibilities the Green Energy Act holds, the investment community suggested the use of green bonds to ensure that investing in renewable energy is accessible to the public, no matter how novice the investor.
While supportive of the Act's direction, former MPP Ruth Grier was present to ensure that the environment and natural systems where protected under the Act. There is still some concern about the level of protection the regulations will provide for wildlife and fish. Hunters and anglers echoed the need to protect sensitive habitat and sensitive ecosystems.
SHOW ME THE REPORT... - Opposition report filled with assumptions and unsubstantiated estimates
Shortly before the committee hearings began, Progressive Conservative members Bob Runciman and John Yakabuski released the Executive Summary of a report commissioned by the PC caucus, written by the consulting firm London Economics International LLC. According to the Executive Summary, the report refutes many of the Act's fundamental components. (Executive summary available here).
Since the full report is not available for evaluation, the broad claims made in the Executive Summary about the cost to consumers remain unsubstantiated. The estimates used to calculate the cost to consumers include: the cost for all conservation programs (but not the savings that will be incurred), planned nuclear and gas fired power plants (that may not be required), and an estimate of cost overruns associated with upgrades to the transmission grid (possibly required with or without the Green Energy Act). We await with great interest the full report so that we can understand the underlying assumptions used to calculate these figures.
Whose got the biggest…Energy Savings!
PC MPP John Yakabuski, who began the debates on the Green Energy Act boasting about the energy conservation measure in his own household, marvelled at the energy savings outlined by Chris Winter (Executive Director of the Conservation Council of Ontario) in his deputation. When Yakabuski invited Winter to explain how he was able to make such savings, Chris simply gave a list of well-known, energy conservation tips, nothing drastic or surprising, proving that there is still some low hanging energy savings fruit in households that think they are doing all they can.
Mike Layton
www.greenenergyact.ca
Mike Layton is a Program Manager for Environmental Defence, a founding member of the Green Energy Act Alliance.
Scholar and environmentalist Dr. Jose Etcheverry praised the Act as the most effective climate change mitigation action being taken in Canada and perhaps North America. While this is not surprising to many of us, it is a good reminder of the importance of the Green Energy Act as Ontario leads Canada’s charge to Copenhagen, where the world will gather to lay out the post-Kyoto plan to combat climate change.
The cement sector showed up to support the Act and make the push for expanding it to include sources of green heat, such as combined heat and power and geothermal, to reduce the impacts of their operations. The aggregate industry wants to go green!
Excited about all the possibilities the Green Energy Act holds, the investment community suggested the use of green bonds to ensure that investing in renewable energy is accessible to the public, no matter how novice the investor.
While supportive of the Act's direction, former MPP Ruth Grier was present to ensure that the environment and natural systems where protected under the Act. There is still some concern about the level of protection the regulations will provide for wildlife and fish. Hunters and anglers echoed the need to protect sensitive habitat and sensitive ecosystems.
SHOW ME THE REPORT... - Opposition report filled with assumptions and unsubstantiated estimates
Shortly before the committee hearings began, Progressive Conservative members Bob Runciman and John Yakabuski released the Executive Summary of a report commissioned by the PC caucus, written by the consulting firm London Economics International LLC. According to the Executive Summary, the report refutes many of the Act's fundamental components. (Executive summary available here).
Since the full report is not available for evaluation, the broad claims made in the Executive Summary about the cost to consumers remain unsubstantiated. The estimates used to calculate the cost to consumers include: the cost for all conservation programs (but not the savings that will be incurred), planned nuclear and gas fired power plants (that may not be required), and an estimate of cost overruns associated with upgrades to the transmission grid (possibly required with or without the Green Energy Act). We await with great interest the full report so that we can understand the underlying assumptions used to calculate these figures.
Whose got the biggest…Energy Savings!
PC MPP John Yakabuski, who began the debates on the Green Energy Act boasting about the energy conservation measure in his own household, marvelled at the energy savings outlined by Chris Winter (Executive Director of the Conservation Council of Ontario) in his deputation. When Yakabuski invited Winter to explain how he was able to make such savings, Chris simply gave a list of well-known, energy conservation tips, nothing drastic or surprising, proving that there is still some low hanging energy savings fruit in households that think they are doing all they can.
Mike Layton
www.greenenergyact.ca
Mike Layton is a Program Manager for Environmental Defence, a founding member of the Green Energy Act Alliance.
Labels: committee hearings, Green Energy Act, Queen's Park, stakeholders
¶ 3:54 PM 2 Comments
