Opposition to natural gas is “ideological,” says Ontario’s new energy minister

CLARINGTON, Ont. — Ontario’s new energy minister is unapologetic about the province’s use of natural gas to partially fuel growing energy needs, calling opposition to it “ideological.”

Stephen Lecce took the portfolio last week in a cabinet shuffle, when he was moved from the education portfolio he oversaw for five years.

Prime Minister Doug Ford also renamed the ministry the Ministry of Energy and Electrification, and Lecce said it was about building the energy infrastructure needed to meet the demands of the economy, including large-scale production facilities such as be the electric vehicle. battery plants being built in the province by Volkswagen, Stellantis and Honda.

“The reality is we need more energy, and our government’s mission is to build on Ontario’s already ambitious plan to expand our energy using all forms, whether it’s nuclear, natural gas and renewables,” he Lecce said at a press conference on Thursday.

“We need to take a comprehensive approach to the above to build for the future.”

Ontario’s electricity system operator recently purchased a new supply of power from 10 battery storage units, which can charge during peak hours and inject power back into the grid when needed, as well as three natural gas and biogas.

The new 20-year contracts are for the supply of electricity, which is due to come online between 2026 and 2028, and the Independent Electricity System Operator said the province will now have enough electricity for the rest of this decade.

But while the government has said recent moves to add more natural gas generation to the electricity system are needed to ensure sufficient supply and flexibility – particularly as nuclear plants undergo refurbishment – it has caused emissions to rise of greenhouse gases in the sector.

In 2021, the electricity system was 94% emission-free, but this has now fallen to 87%.

Lecce said Thursday that Ontario’s grid is still one of the cleanest on the continent, and he stressed the government’s decisions will ensure it remains reliable and affordable.

“What we’re not going to do, and I can’t stress this enough, is we’re not going to follow a path, an ideological path, that denies some forms of energy when we need all of them to power our economy,” he said .

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said Lecce’s comments were “totally out of touch with the reality facing Ontario.”

“Developing expensive and dirty gas plants makes no sense when people are facing an affordability crisis and a climate emergency,” he wrote in a statement.

The IESO said in a 2022 report that Ontario could fully phase out natural gas from the electricity system by 2050, starting with a moratorium in 2027, but would require $375 billion to $425 billion in capital costs over 23 years, including building new, large ones. large-scale nuclear power plants, resulting in annual operating costs of about $60 billion by 2050—three times current costs.

If costs to consumers become too high, it could jeopardize the decarbonisation plan, the IESO said.

The former Liberal government faced widespread anger over high hydro bills, driven in part by long-term contracts at above-market rates with clean energy producers secured to spur a green energy transition.

Ontario plans to add more wind and solar to the mix, as well as continue to add nuclear, including exploring a new large-scale plant at Bruce Power in Tiverton, Ontario, seeking permission to refurbish units at the Pickering nuclear power plant. plants and the construction of four small modular reactors at the Darlington nuclear facility.

Lecce announced on Thursday that the first phase of site preparation for the first small modular reactor has been completed.

The reactors will produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than a million homes.

Lecce also announced that a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation has secured a $360 million deal to help renovate a nuclear power plant in Romania.

As part of the deal with Romania, Ontario nuclear workers will offer their renovation expertise after the federal government reached an agreement with the European country to work on its only nuclear power plant.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 13, 2024.

Allison Jones, Canadian Press