The Ontario Government Needs a Lesson in How Energy Markets Work | Unpublished
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Unpublished Opinions

Mike Schreiner's picture
Mike Schreiner
Toronto, Ontario
About the author

A leading advocate for independent businesses, local food and sustainable communities, Mike Schreiner is well known for his leadership in co-founding the award-winning Local Food Plus organization. He brings a proven track record in business and non-profit leadership roles to the Ontario political scene. Schreiner was elected leader of the Green Party of Ontario (GPO) on November 14, 2009. Schreiner, a 43-year old father of two, started his career in the Guelph region as an entrepreneur and advocate in the local food movement. As co-founder of WOW Foods, an award winning local organic food distribution company, Schreiner worked for over 10 years to connect local farmers with consumers in the GTA and Guelph. His business was awarded the Citizen’s Bank of Canada Ethics in Action Award for socially responsible business and the Toronto Food Policy Council’s Local Food Hero Award. He is also co-founder of Earthdance Organics, a Guelph-based food production business that supplied area health foods stores and farmer’s markets in the early 2000s. Building on that success, he helped establish Local Food Plus (LFP), a non-profit that brings farmers and consumers together to promote financially, socially and environmentally sustainable local food systems. While at LFP, the organization won the Canadian Environment Award for Sustainable Living, a Green Toronto Award of Excellence--Health Category, a Green Toronto Award of Excellence--Market Transformation Category and NOW Magazine’s Best of Toronto Award for best new environmental initiative. Family and community are important to Mike. His wife Sandy and their two daughters are active, spending their free time gardening, hiking, fishing, cycling and volunteering in community activities.

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The Ontario Government Needs a Lesson in How Energy Markets Work

September 3, 2014

Please take a minute to sign our petition calling on Premier Wynne to cancel the Darlington Re-build Project.
 
Premier Wynne has already opened the door to the possibility of purchasing electricity from Quebec. But Minister Chiarelli has shown he’s not taking the prospect seriously with his low-ball offer to Quebec.
 
We can’t let pressure from the nuclear industry sabotage negotiations with Quebec.
 
Now is the time for action. You can push back by signing our petition.

Does Ontario's Minister of Energy Bob Chiarelli understand how electricity markets work?

Or is he deliberately sabotaging negotiations with Quebec to justify Ontario spending billions on nuclear power?

Ontario has an opportunity to purchase low cost water power from Quebec. The province could avoid wasting billions on the Darlington Nuclear Station Re-Build Project.

No nuclear project in Ontario's history has delivered on time or budget. The Darlington re-build is already over budget.

Premier Wynne in her recent meetings with Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard has raised hopes that a power deal is possible. The Green Party, along with environmental NGOs such as the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, have long advocated replacing high cost nuclear power from Darlington with lower cost water power from Quebec.

Just when it looked as if Ontario was on the verge of saving billions, Minister Chiarelli seems to be playing games that threaten the Premier's plans.

The Minister claims that buying water power from Quebec is not "a slam dunk" because Quebec sells electricity to the U.S. at above-spot market prices.

The Minister should know that Ontario's electricity contracts normally pay rates above the market average. Publicly owned Ontario Power Generation (OPG) says that power from Darlington, for example, will cost around 8.3 cents per kWh, well above the spot market price of around 2 cents per kWh.

The Liberal's gas plant scandal has certainly opened our eyes to how private gas-powered plants receive above market contract prices. So does the privately operated Bruce Nuclear Plant, as well as renewable energy projects.

So, why does the Minister expect Quebec to sell power at the spot market price which is well below contract prices Ontario has with other suppliers? This is a billion dollar question.

Studies show that Ontario could save over $600 million per year by paying those above market prices for Quebec power instead of paying even higher prices for Darlington nuclear power.

Nuclear power is a bad choice for our financial future. Nuclear power is a bad choice for our energy future. It's time for the Liberals to wake up from their nuclear dream, and get down to the business of providing Ontario with safe, secure, and affordable electricity.

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