Ontario's energy plan ignores provincial climate law, watchdog says
The Canadian Press | Posted: April 10, 2018 8:05 PM | Last Updated: April 10, 2018
Action needed to shift province from fossil fuels, says environment commissioner
Ontario's environmental watchdog says the Liberal government's long-term energy plan ignores its own climate change law and more must be done to shift the province from fossil fuels to low-carbon sources.
In her report on the province's energy conservation efforts, Environmental Commissioner Dianne Saxe says that Ontario's climate laws — which target reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 — would require a drop in fossil fuel use by 40 to 50 per cent in the next 13 years to meet that goal.
Saxe says that the province's long-term energy plan, which was released last fall, predicts stable demand for electricity but doesn't spell out how it will reduce fossil fuel use.
She says that in order to meet that goal the province will need to shift away from fossil fuel used in some cars and trucks, and from home heating using fossil fuels to electricity.
Saxe praises the government's role in cleaning up Ontario's electricity system by ending coal-fired power, but the report acknowledges that it has resulted in an increase in costs for ratepayers.
Saxe says the move away from coal-fired power has helped reduce the number of smog days every year and the health impacts associated with air pollution.