GUELPH — Mike Schreiner is calling on the federal government to stop construction of gas-fired power plants in Ontario.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Schreiner calls on the federal government to move immediately to establish federal clean electricity regulations that ban new gas plants and require Ontario to move to a net-zero carbon electricity grid by 2030.
“The Premier has badly mismanaged the province’s electricity supply,” Schreiner said today. “Recklessly cancelling hundreds of renewable energy contracts and successful energy efficiency programs has undermined climate solutions and cost Ontarians millions.
“Now we are facing an energy crunch and the Premier’s solution is to ramp up expensive, polluting fossil gas plants.”
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Schreiner said that emissions from the proposed new gas plants will cancel out half of the emissions reductions achieved by phasing out the province’s dirty coal-fired power plants and threaten Canada’s ability to meet its Paris climate targets.
“The Premier has demonstrated time and again that he will obstruct, oppose and delay any meaningful action to address the climate crisis,” said Schreiner.
“I’m calling on the federal government to fill Ontario’s leadership vacuum with decisive action to block a giant step backwards to fossil gas generation.
“Low-cost renewable energy projects and ambitious efficiency programs will drive progress on climate and help people and businesses save money by saving energy.”
“A clean grid will attract new industries, create tens of thousands of new jobs and give Ontario a strong foothold in the booming climate economy.”