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Ontario aims to phase out its coal power plants within five years according to the new Green Energy Act that the Canadian province has instituted. Canada is one of the highest carbon gas contributors among major economies.
The Green Energy Act has two important components that will make it easy to introduce new sustainable energy projects to Ontario. First, it will encourage citizens to use less energy. Second, it will boost investment in the renewable energy industry. This includes home solar power systems, biogas facilities, and wind turbine farms.
In related news, a solar company based in Kitchener, Ontario, announced that it plans to build a solar manufacturing plant. The company has a working capital of $30 million and will hire 500 employees. The plant will produce solar power systems for the province. This is just one of the many business ventures connected to the sustainable energy industry, and more are expected to come in the near future.
George Smitherman, Ontario’s Energy Minister, says he will allow individuals and businesses to build solar panel installations and other sustainable energy plants in the province. Experts estimate that 10-15% of Ontario’s energy will come from clean energy sources. At present Ontario gets 18% of its energy from coal-powered plants.
Critics of the Green Energy Act say it could cost the provincial government to fully implement the new green scheme. Ontario has an old power grid that needs to be updated so it can transfer power from various sources. This alone would cost the province billions of dollars.
The opposition party scrutinized the new green policy and concluded that once implemented the residential electricity rates will skyrocket to at least double of what citizens are currently paying . They say this is a steep price to pay to reduce carbon emissions by 14%.
The government says that after the Copenhagen Summit, countries will be pressured to reduce their carbon emissions — which will lead to a rise in electricity costs everywhere. Ontario is therefore just making the first move ahead of others.
Ontario’s new green policy also includes energy conservation standards that can help reduce electricity consumption by up to 20%. Politicians are banking that when the rates rise, the amount of energy consumed will decrease.
For more information about Ontario’s Green Energy Act, visit: http://www.greenenergyact.ca/
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