Less than two months ago, the Town of Halton Hills and the City of Kitchener put forward a motion to council to recommend that the Government of Ontario commit to phasing out natural gas by 2030 to ensure climate goals can be met and to reduce air pollution. This is a very important announcement, that may go down as a key step in Ontario’s transition to a clean power sector. The City of Guelph just joined the aforementioned two municipalities as well as several others who have made the same decision.
Looking back into the recent history of the Ontario electricity industry, there are some interesting similarities between the past and the recent announcements mentioned above.
In 1999, the City of Kitchener was the first municipality in Ontario to call for coal to be phased out of being used for electricity production in Ontario. Many municipalities quickly joined Kitchener to support the ban of coal power generation. Approximately three years later, in 2002, the Government of Ontario announced the decision and plans to formally retire all coal power generation.
In 2014, about 12 years later, the Province phased out coal successfully and the last plant came offline. It took approximately 15 years from the time the first municipality called on the Province to act, to the time the last coal electricity was generated. In the power sector, 15 years is not that long considering most generating plants are built to last at least 30 years, and in many cases for longer.
Whether or not history repeats itself, that remains to be seen. If it does, then sometime in 2023 the Government of Ontario will decide to commit to phase out natural gas electricity production and by 2035 the last natural gas generating plant will be decommissioned.
We are approaching 2021 and we live in a world with significantly more technology and globalization than existed at the turn of the century. Now, there is a suite of clean energy generation and energy storage options to ease the transition from emitting types of energy generation. Blue Harp Consulting expects (and hopes) to see the Government of Ontario side with these municipalities and make the commitment to phase out natural gas generation and replace it with: energy efficiency measures, renewable energy generation, and strategically situated energy storage, transmission, and distribution.
For context, natural gas and oil supplied approximately 6% of Ontario’s bulk (transmission connected generation) electricity in 2019, according to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). The graph below was found on the IESO website, and the link is reference below.
Compared to many other provinces and territories, it will be comparatively less difficult for Ontario to transition entirely out of fossil fuels to 100% clean energy. According to the AESO, natural gas produced more than 43% of Alberta’s electricity in 2019, meaning this will be a much more difficult and time-consuming undertaking relative to Ontario. However, it ought to present many great new opportunities for technology and innovation which we look forward to seeing more of in 2021 and beyond.
Currently, Alberta is in the midst of a transition from coal. Recent announcements from coal generators in Alberta indicate that the Province is on track to transition from coal well ahead of its original 2030 target. The next significant challenge ahead for the Alberta power sector will come once coal has been decommissioned and natural gas becomes the biggest source of emissions in the power sector. The good news is that Alberta has some of Canada’s best renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro.
Dave Carscadden, Blue Harp Consulting’s founder, has some ties to the first two communities mentioned at the beginning of this blog. Dave grew up in the Town of Halton Hills and also lived in the City of Kitchener. Below, he shares a brief comment of how he saw first-hand the impact phasing out coal had:
“In the late 2000s and 2010s I regularly drove along highway 25 between Milton and Acton, along the Niagara Escarpment. On a clear day with no smog, the Toronto skyline was easily visible to the East. As the number of smog days in Ontario rose in regularity and severity, it became much rarer to be able to see the CN Tower from the escarpment. After 2014, the air almost immediately became much clearer and smog days were a thing of the past. I saw first-hand how the decision to phase out coal directly impacted air quality where I lived and grew up.”
How are we able to help?
Blue Harp Consulting has the knowledge and experience to support your organization with clean energy or sustainability projects. For clients such as utilities and governments we help to build a plan for a clean energy future by supporting early-stage research and development work. Blue Harp Consulting offers services related to community engagement efforts on sustainability or clean energy initiatives. Blue Harp Consulting is interested in working with First Nations and Indigenous groups to advance sustainability opportunities. Please reach out if you are interested in discussing a project.
Do you have questions about our consulting services or blog post? Connect with Dave via email at: dcarscadden@blueharpconsulting.ca
Blog written by: Dave Carscadden, CEO – Blue Harp Consulting
Sources
IESO – https://www.ieso.ca/en/Power-Data/Supply-Overview/Transmission-Connected-Generation
AESO – https://www.aeso.ca/market/market-and-system-reporting/annual-market-statistic-reports/
Kitchener Today – https://www.kitchenertoday.com/local-news/kitchener-council-calls-on- province-to-phase-out-gas-fired-power-production-2828118
