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Major changes are needed to support electricity conservation Chris
Winter
If there is a bright side to the blackout, it is that we have heard politicians use the word “conservation” more times in the past few days alone than they have over the entire past decade. The public did its part admirably in a time of crisis by voluntarily cutting back on electricity consumption. Over eighty per cent of Ontarians want to conserve electricity, but they can’t do on voluntary measures alone. They are looking for provincial leadership in making conservation affordable, and they are looking for advice and support programs to help with the transition. Now is the time for an aggressive provincial energy conservation plan that will reduce our overall electrical power demand by at least 4,000 Megawatts, or twenty percent of the current average demand. Conservation should be our first resort, not our last. It reduces the need for expensive system upgrades, it reduces the need to purchase expensive power at peak times, it reduces smog and greenhouse gas emissions, it will facilitate the phase-out of Ontario’s coal-fired plants, it will create a more efficient and stronger economy, and it will reduce energy bills and prepare consumers for the inevitable increases in electricity prices. The Provincial government is a key player in a provincial conservation plan – it controls energy pricing, efficiency standards, and funding for conservation programs. Provincial funding for conservation was an early casualty of the Common Sense Revolution in 1996. Not surprisingly, electricity consumption in Ontario grew about 8% between 1995 and 2000. Only with the recent crises over electricity prices and supply shortages has the provincial government come up with a conservation “action plan” of voluntary actions and a provincial tax rebate on energy efficient appliances. The Province’s action plan does not involve any of Ontario’s conservation organizations, nor does it include a long-term commitment to restoring a conservation ethic in Ontario’s society. Our
Action Plan for Energy Conservation For energy conservation (both electricity and other forms of energy), these are the four key elements of our conservation action plan:
Price energy to promote conservation Should energy prices rise to reflect the true cost of production? Absolutely, but even more important is to make conservation an economically attractive alternative. An increase on the base 4.3 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity should be directly earmarked for conservation and alternative energy. We estimate that each 0.1 cent per kilowatt hour would result in $150 million per year for conservation incentives and support programs. A 0.7 cent per KWh surcharge would generate in excess of $1 billion annually for conservation and alternative energy incentive programs. There is already a surcharge to retire Ontario Hydro’s stranded debt, so the concept is already in practice. Further, the surcharge could be structured to exempt a base consumption rate in order to promote conservation, avoid adding to the energy costs of low-income families, and allow the government to maintain its commitment to capping basic electricity rates. Create an
Ontario Green Energy and Conservation Fund Through an Ontario
fund, municipalities would be able to finance programs for building and
street-lighting efficiency, wind and solar power could be subsidized,
utilities would be able to conduct conservation programs, and homeowners
would be eligible for subsidies for energy-efficiency renovations and
rooftop solar units. It would
stimulate investment and improve Ontario’s long-term energy security. Support
community-based conservation outreach Strengthen
standards for green energy and conservation All in all, it’s not that difficult to create a conserver society in Ontario. We estimate that if people contributed even one percent of their gross income and one percent of their time to conservation measures, we can achieve tremendous results. It sounds like the public is ready to make that commitment. We’re just waiting for the right economic incentives and leadership from the provincial government to make it happen.
Chris Winter is the Executive Director of the Conservation Council of Ontario and a board member of Greensaver, Toronto’s green community association.
The
Conservation Council of Ontario
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