Ontario Failing Like Europe

Lorrie Goldstein — Toronto Sun — September 14, 2013

If you want to see the future of the Ontario economy under Premier Kathleen Wynne’s green energy plan, you don’t have to look far.

Look at Europe, because we’re starting to experience what’s happening there, as rising electricity prices driven by the high cost of renewable energy gut its manufacturing sector.

“We face a systemic industrial massacre,” Antonio Tajani, European Commissioner for Industry, recently told the Daily Telegraph, “I am in favour of a green agenda, but we can’t be religious about this. We need a new energy policy. We have to stop pretending, because we can’t sacrifice Europe’s industry for climate goals that are not realistic and are not being enforced worldwide.”

“The loss of competitiveness is frightening,” Italian economist Paulo Savona told the Telegraph. “When people choose whether to invest in Europe or the U.S…

Parker Gallant, who analyzes the Ontario power system and comments frequently in this space and for The Financial Post in its series “Ontario’s Power Trip”, appeared yesterday on journalist Rob Snow’s program on CFRA radio, Ottawa. While Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli claims Ontario is “making money” selling excess power, Parker says this isn’t true: in fact, he says, Ontario is losing “hundreds of millions” with the way it manages the system.
He explains everything in 10 minutes or less…10 very sad minutes for Ontario.
The podcast of his interview is begins at minute 1:06 on the podcast.

It’s about having an honest conversation.

That’s what I’ve come to think blogging is. Yes, you can muck around showing how slick or amusing you are but unless you’re genuinely trying to talk to one or two other human beings out there, who perhaps may only exist in your mind’s eye, you’re just adding a bit more volume to the background noise of the internet. You have to take the view that apart from them, nobody out there is listening, so you can talk freely and at your own pace.

To take that thought one step further, once you accept the very real possibility that you might well be talking into an empty void, you don’t really have to care from then on about how the viewpoint you’re expressing will be received and of course, how you choose to express it is your own business. It flows. You’re a free man.

Given…

(Tongue in Cheek Letter #1)

(Tongue in Cheek Letter # 2)

TORONTO – Ontario will start paying wind power generators today not to produce electricity, but the government says the move will actually save ratepayers big bucks.

Ontario has had a surplus of power since 2006, but until now, the province paid for all the electricity generated from industrial wind mills, even when it wasn’t needed.

Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli says the system operator can now order wind producers not to generate power, and will pay them _ just as it pays Bruce nuclear _ not to produce electricity when it’s not needed.

He says they are paid at a reduced rate that will save the province $200 million a year just on the wind turbines.

Ontario has signed generous contracts with wind producers for about 5,800 megawatts of electricity, only about 1,500 of which is currently connected to the grid.

The Progressive Conservatives say paying wind power producers with 20-year…

By Heather Boa, Huron News Now

Options on how Huron County’s land use planning document can be changed to give the Municipality of Central Huron greater control on renewable energy development on its agricultural land are being drafted for presentation to council next week.

Once council settles on an option, its lawyer, Valerie M’Garry, a private practice lawyer from Delaware, Ont., will prepare a list of issues that will be dealt with in the legal appeal of Huron County’s land use planning document.

Planner Allan Ramsey, of Allan Ramsey Planning Associates, told Central Huron’s committee of the whole this week that options include: prescriptive wording in the county’s official plan related to the development of renewable energy facilities, or extracting policies on renewable energy from the county’s official plan and inserting them into the local official plans of the nine lower-tier municipalities, which would be able to develop their own…

By Shelley Miller-Cameron Blackburn News

The ‘Not A Willing Host’ for industrial wind turbines stance is now unanimous in Perth County. County Council is throwing its formal support behind the four lower-tier municipalities that have already made that declaration.

Warden Vince Judge applauds the Province’s apparent desire to limit the projects to willing communities.
Judge suggests new projects do not appear to be moving through the process very fast but is concerned the Province is not looking at others very closely.

He is pleased Perth County and its member municipalities have declared themselves ‘Not A Willing Host’ for industrial wind turbines and hopeful the unified message will make a difference. He admits it may have little impact on existing plans including a proposed wind turbine development involving properties in North Perth and neighbouring Perth East.  Read article