TORONTO, ON — Tim Weis, director of the Pembina
Institute's renewable energy program, made the following statement in response
to the Ontario government's announcement today of plans to shut down four additional
units of coal power production:
"Today's announcement
represents another significant step away from the use of coal to generate electricity — and a step toward cleaner air, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and a more
renewable energy supply for Ontarians.
"Shutting down these four
units of coal power production will reduce the amount of electricity produced
by burning coal in Ontario by another forty per cent, bringing us that much
closer to our goal of phasing out coal power completely by 2014 — or even
sooner.
"Skeptics have argued that
replacing traditional thermal power plants like coal with a variety of
renewable and efficiency options would be impossible, but Ontario's ambitious
efforts are proving it is both practical, and technically doable. Ontario is
setting an important example that the rest of North America can and should
follow."
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Contact:
Tim Weis
Director, Renewable Energy and Efficiency Policy, Pembina Institute
Cell: 780-667-6519
Cherise Burda
Director, Ontario Energy Solutions, Pembina Institute
Phone: 416-824-0256
