A report by the David Suzuki Foundation shows that Ontario's looming supply-demand energy imbalance can be entirely filled with renewable energy, which is much cheaper and more reliable than nuclear power and large-scale natural gas.
The report, Smart Generation: Powering Ontario with Renewable Energy shows how Ontario can:
- Create 25,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector by 2010 and 77,000 jobs by 2020.
- Install more than 12,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2020 - enough electricity to phase out Ontario's coal plants.
- Produce nearly $14 billion in economic benefits by installing 8,000 megawatts of wind energy.
- Use renewable energy to replace natural gas electricity currently used for heating and cooling homes, offices and industries in Ontario.
- Create a culture of conservation to reduce demand for electricity, and save consumers money.
The release of the Suzuki Foundation's report coincided with the second reading of Ontario's new electricity legislation, which sets a modest target to have 2,700 megawatts of renewable energy by 2010. The Ontario government has also made a commitment to close down its five coal-fired electricity power plants by 2007.
View the October 20, 2004 press release by the David Suzuki Foundation
Access the full report Smart Generation: Powering Ontario with Renewable Energy
Source: David Suzuki Foundation
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