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Ontario should keep Green Energy Act – for progress and jobs

Ontario urged not to scrap renewable energy policy, SHAWN MCCARTHY, OTTAWA— Globe and Mail , Jul. 14 2011 , Ontario has become a global leader in the clean-energy business and killing the government program that is driving investment in wind and solar industries would be a mistake, says the head of a leading progressive American think tank.

With a fall election looming, Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Tim Hudak has vowed to abolish the Green Energy Act, under which renewable energy producers receive premium prices for their power in exchange for commitments to procure goods and services in the province. The producers are paid a special rate, known as a feed-in tariff. Defenders of the renewable energy policy have enlisted John Podesta, former adviser to President Barack Obama and founder of the influential Washington-based Center for American Progress.

In a meeting with The Globe and Mail’s editorial board, Mr. Podesta said that if the Green Energy Act is abolished, Ontario would be throwing away an opportunity to be a leader in an industry that is gaining momentum around the world, especially in economic powerhouses like Germany and China.

“I think it would be a mistake for Ontario” to repeal the Green Energy Act, he said. “I would think that there’s a strong case to be made given the job growth that’s already been had in Ontario and looking at the energy platforms across the globe in the future, that going backwards is really not the right answer.”….http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/ontario-urged-not-to-scrap-renewable-energy-policy/article2096481/

July 14, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general