Ontario Clean Energy Plan on Track says Minister
Ontario has become “a global leader in the clean energy industry,creating thousands of jobs for families and cleaning up the air we
breathe” according to a 2011
target=”_blank”>Progress Report
released by the provincial
government.
class=”MsoNormal”>The report states the Ontario Green Energy
Act has created over 13,000 jobs and the province is on track to
create 50,000 jobs by the end of 2012.
class=”MsoNormal”>The report said the program has so far
brought online 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy, about five per
cent of the province’s installed electricity generation.
class=”MsoNormal”>The plan is the most comprehensive subsidy
scheme for clean energy production in North America, and the report
said Ontario has signed or offered more than 21,000 contracts to
developers of small, medium and large clean energy projects so
far.
class=”MsoNormal”>The $20 billion figure includes a $7
billion commitment by South Korea’s Samsung C&T, as well as
investments already made and planned by other producers who have
contracts under the province’s feedin tariff (FIT), Ontario energy
minister Brad Duguid said.
class=”MsoNormal box”>“Our Long-Term Energy Plan is
helping create thousands of jobs in the clean energy industry
across the province. As we replace dirty-coal fired power
generation with cleaner sources of energy like solar, wind and
bio-mass, we are establishing the province as a global leader in
clean energy manufacturing.” Brad Duguid, Minister of
Energy
class=”MsoNormal”>Other achievements cited in the report
include:
class=”MsoNormal”>- Replacing dirty coal-fired plants with
cleaner sources of power such as wind, solar, and biomass - for the
first quarter of this year, the use of coal was down 90 per cent
compared to the same period in 2003. Eight coal units have been
closed already, and two more will close later this year.
class=”MsoNormal”>- Ontario’s plan to eliminate coal-fired
power plants is the equivalent of taking up to seven million cars
off the road.
class=”MsoNormal”>- Bringing more than 8,900 megawatts of
new electricity supply online, including 2,000 megawatts from
sustainable, renewable sources will provide enough power for over
two million homes.
class=”MsoNormal”>- Ontarians have saved 1,700 megawatts of
electricity through conservation - the equivalent of taking half a
million homes off the grid.
class=”MsoNormal”>- In order to help the transition to a
cleaner electricity system, the government is taking 10 per cent
off electricity bills for families, farmers and small businesses
for the next five years. The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit will save
the average family about $150 per year.
class=”MsoNormal”>- Ontario’s clean energy economy has
attracted more than $20 billion in new private-sector investment,
such as Enbridge’s
Sarnia Solar Project , the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) farm
in the world.
In an interview quoted in a
Vancouver Sun article, Minister Duguid
noted “You’ve got to remember that the bulk of the projects are
still about to go under construction in the next year, so the
biggest part of that job creation is yet to
come.”
The 50,000 job creation figure includes jobs for
constructing wind and solar farms, which Duguid admitted were not
permanent jobs.
Source: www.news.ontario.ca
