TORONTO– Mike Schreiner made the following statement in response to reports and documents that raise questions about the true cost of shutting down Ontario’s gas plants:
“The Premier needs to come clean on the financial and environmental costs of his plan to ramp up gas plants.
According to one of the scenarios included in the newly uncovered documents from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), getting off climate-polluting gas plants could save Ontario ratepayers up to a cumulative $2 billion per year. But it seems like the Premier would rather Ontarians not know that important information, as this scenario was excluded from the IESO report.
We’re in a climate emergency and need to do everything possible to urgently crush climate pollution. Getting off fossil fuels will make life more affordable and make the air cleaner, which will improve health for Ontarians.
It begs the question: why isn’t the truth on gas plants being made available? Is the Premier hiding something, again?
According to the Clean Air Alliance, climate and air pollution from Ontario gas plants will increase by 375% by 2030 and over 600% by 2040 under the Premier’s plans.
This is completely unacceptable.
I am committed to crushing climate pollution by aiming to phase out expensive gas plants by 2030 and doubling Ontario’s electricity supply with cheaper renewables and storage.”