Climate woes halt councillors from backing Ford’s plan

This article was written by Marco Chown Oved and was published in the Toronto Star on December 13, 2023.

Halton Hills, home to one of Ontario’s biggest gas plants, has rejected an expansion project, with local councillors saying concerns about climate change and local air pollution prevented them from being able to support new fossil fuel infrastructure.

The 9-2 vote on Monday evening is the latest setback to Premier Doug Ford’s plan to build new gas plants to meet Ontario’s growing demand for electricity.

For the last year, the province’s electricity system operator and developers have been pitching cities and towns on hosting new plants in an effort to build 1,500 megawatts of gas-fired generation but have only secured 2 local approvals for a total of 550 megawatts.

Halton Hills is the fifth municipality to vote on a new gas plant, breaking the tie between two that approved (Windsor and Napanee) and two that rejected (Thorold and Loyalist) proposals.

“Saying yes to supporting this plant expansion will mean turning our backs on at least 10 years of environmental stewardship and it will also indicate to our residents that climate action is for someone else to worry about,” said Mayor Ann Lawlor.

“Expansion of this plant will demonstrate yet another failure of governments to plan long term for a healthy planet where we all can thrive.”

In 2021, Halton Hills became the first municipality in Canada to commit to net zero emissions by 2030.

This target is more ambitious than virtually any other worldwide. Canada currently seeks to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The draft Clean Electricity Regulations, if implemented, would mandate net zero electricity nationwide by 2035.

The currently proposed gas plants in Ontario would be contracted until 2040.

In its low-carbon transition strategy, the municipality stated: “the energy system is in transition away from fossil fuels. Halton Hills’ commitment to decarbonize ahead of the curve will enable us to capitalize on new economic opportunities, avoid projected financial losses, and ensure sustainable economic growth.”

Pointing to this report, several councillors said they could not support a new gas plant.

“I’m sure we’re not the only municipality in this situation. We declared a climate emergency in 2019. We’ve got a climate change adaptation plan. We’ve got a corporate energy plan. We’ve got green development standards. We’ve got a retrofit program. And now we’re being asked to endorse a gas plant,” said Coun. Alex Hilson.

In a lengthy back-and-forth with councillors, the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) made the case that new gas plants were necessary to meet demand in the short term, while transitioning to a net zero grid long term.

“I’m very aware of how confusing the message can be: that we need to rely on fossil fuels to bridge out of fossil fuels,” said the IESO’s chief energy transition officer Chuck Farmer. “This was a hard decision to make but I think it is the only way we can move forward in order to maintain the reliability of the system.”

“If we don’t maintain the reliability and affordability of the system, then we will lose the support for the longer term journey and the investments that are required in order to get to net zero,” he said.

His explanation did not sway Council.

Lawlor was unimpressed with the developer, Atura (a subsidiary of the publicly owned Ontario Power Generation), who made few efforts to work with the municipality on its net zero by 2030 goals, she said.

“Do they really want us to say yes? If they have, why didn’t they give us a great pitch? Because I sure haven’t seen it tonight,” she said.

Other councillors decried how they’re being asked to make decisions that extend far beyond municipal borders, shaping the provincial electricity grid, with global implications in exacerbating climate change.

“We as a council have been put in a difficult situation that we should not be in. The provincial government should be making these decisions, not us,” said Coun. Michael Albano.

Before the Ford government was elected in 2018, electricity planning in Ontario was carried out centrally and imposed on local communities by Queen’s Park.

Capitalizing on local opposition to wind farms, Ford won election in part by promising to give local communities a say on any new energy projects. This effectively gave municipalities a veto, which is now being wielded against gas plants.

This has forced gas plant developers to woo local representatives with financial contributions to “community benefit funds,” something that has never before been offered for electricity generation projects.

Napanee Council voted to support Atura’s 450 megawatt gas plant last month after being offered $1,000 per megawatt per year, a contribution that could add up to $4.8 million over the 12 year contract.

Atura offered Halton Hills $1,100 per megawatt, or between $2 million and $3.5 million over the 12 year contract being sought, depending on the eventual size of the plant.

The very fact that Atura proposed payments had locals questioning the project.

Lawlor said an “unprecedented” number of residents contacted council about the new plant, and more than a dozen of them spoke at council before the vote.

They raised concerns about exacerbating climate change by burning additional fossil fuels and about the health impacts of local air pollution.

“I would feel both betrayed and abandoned should you decide to approve this proposal,” said resident Daniel Poirier, who described how he had bought an electric vehicle and heat pump to fight climate change.

“Why in God’s name did I spend so much effort and many tens of thousands of dollars to reduce my own carbon footprint only to see all that wasted … because of a dirty electricity grid?”

Several councillors said they were swayed by the passionate deputation of 16-year-old high school student, Matthew Tyhurst.

“I’m no councillor, mayor or politician. I’m not even in a position or age to vote yet. All I do is watch and hope that you keep the promises that you yourselves have set forward in a supposed attempt to secure the future of myself and future generations.”

Last fall, the province’s electricity grid operator put out a call for 1,500 megawatts of new gas “peaker” plants to ensure there are no blackouts during periods of peak demand. These peaker plants are only supposed to run about 2 per cent of the time, typically on hot summer afternoons when everyone cranks up their A/C.

But a Star investigation this fall found that Ontario’s fleet of gas peaker plants actually run most of the time. The three plants in the GTA, which produce toxic air pollution in the densest urban area in the country, were fired up more than 19 hours a day last summer, the investigation found.

The Halton Hills plant has doubled how much it runs in the summer, when electricity demand is highest. Five years ago, it ran just over 10 hours a day during the hottest months. Last summer, it ran more than 20 hours a day.

‘‘ Why in God’s name did I spend so much effort and many tens of thousands of dollars to reduce my own carbon footprint only to see all that wasted … because of a dirty electricity grid?

DANIEL POIRIER HALTON HILLS RESIDENT WHO BOUGHT AN EV AND HEAT PUMP TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE