The price of North American natural gas has been ridiculously low since before the recession of 2008. In that time, the fossil component of the Ontario electricity supply essentially shifted from coal-fired power generation to gas-fired. The provincial grid still supplied mostly with nuclear, but the fossil supply is now mostly gas. As I...
Energy conservation
Nuclear energy in Ontario: legislative game theory in interesting times
The McGuinty Liberals squeaked into a minority government on October 6, mostly by hanging on to their electoral seats in urban areas—especially in and around Toronto. It was clear that their strategy in the campaign was to focus on these seats. The premier talked up his Green Energy Act incessantly, and the Green Energy...
Ontario’s Long Term Energy Plan: pay lots of money for small carbon reductions
Nobody should be surprised by anything in the Long Term Energy Plan the Ontario government released last week. The biggest question is what will replace coal-fired generation, which the government has promised to phase out. Coal has historically provided 20–25 percent of the province’s power. The LTEP leads off by saying conservation will do part of that,...
Ontario’s electrical future: another go at Darlington?
“Live better electrically.” Remember that slogan? It used to be how Ontario Hydro, formerly the world’s biggest electric utility, promoted its product, electricity. With that slogan, Hydro promised customers a better life if they used more of its product. Though the slogan, together with the underlying concept, fell (and has till now stayed) out of fashion,...
U.S. climate bill set for vote: watch and learn, Canada
Professional climate policy wonks are watching the spectacle south of the Canada-U.S. border, where a House bill on climate change will receive its first major political test Friday. Political wrangling over what industries get covered (or hit, depending on your perspective), and how they are covered (or hit) has virtually ensured that the bill...
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