Early Coal Plant Phase-out Can be Achieved
OCAA acknowledged, however, that those conditions would raise electricity rates in Ontario by 3.3%, but the costs would be outweighed by gains in air quality and public health.
OCAA said that canceling coal-fired power exports in 2010 will reduce Ontario's projected coal-fired generation by 50% and will raise rates by no more than 1%. Replacing the remaining coal-fired generation with generation from the new gas plants would raise rates another 2.3%.
Ontario's government originally had promised to shut down province-owned Ontario Power Generation's four remaining coal plants by the end of 2007. Later, it extended that deadline to early 2009 and then to the end of 2014.
"Advancing the coal phase-out date from 2014 to 2010 will save over 3,000 lives, prevent up to 1.6 million asthma attacks and provide 50 to 80% of the total greenhouse gas emission reductions Ontario needs to achieve compliance with its Kyoto Protocol target for 2010," said OCAA Chairman Jack Gibbons.
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Nuclear alert investigation won't be long and drawn out, minister says
TORONTO - An investigation into a mistaken alert warning of an incident at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station will be completed fairly quickly, Ontario's solicitor general said.
Sylvia Jones tapped the chief of Emergency Management Ontario to investigate how the alert warning of an unspecified problem at the facility was sent in error to cellphones, radios and TVs across the province at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
"It's very important for me, for the people of Ontario, to know exactly what happened on Sunday morning," said Jones. "Having said that, I do not anticipate this is going to be a long, drawn-out investigation.…
