[All] 46% Hydro increase = 10% rebate for Ontario Green Energy

[Louisette Lanteigne]

I
 listened to the Liberal budget speech at Queens Park live. Minister Dwight 
Duncan said the 10% Hydro rebate is the Ontario Clean Energy Rebate. 

Over
 the next 5 years, hydro must go up 46% to shift Ontario to Clean Energy
 and replace old infrastructure. The old infrastructure was loosing 
power equal to Niagara falls running dry. He said the previous Tory 
government ignored fixing it so as a result Ontario had to buy coal 
power from the US to compensate. 

The Liberals have since 
invested in fixing up the infrastructure to prevent energy loss and they have invested in adding green energy and now
 we're closing Ontario's coal plants which will remove air pollution equal to the 
emissions of 7 million cars. 

By shifting to cleaner energy it 
creates jobs. In Sarnia, 800 construction jobs came from the creation of
 the world's largest solar energy project. There are new jobs in Guelph,
 Windsor etc. based on wind and solar power. Hydro created 600 new jobs 
for aboriginal communities in Northern Ontario etc.

We've now got 700 new Wind Turbines providing energy to millions of Ontario residents. 

In my view this move creates incentives to conserve, and it lowers health care costs related to the illness costs of smog. By investing here we'll save money in other sectors while creating economic stimulus.

During
 the speech the Tory MPP's were going nuts. The rep from Hamilton East 
was told to leave. It was amazing. Ontario Liberals are leading the 
Green shift in Ontario. 

CBC has a write up but the feedback has been negative which is par for the course on anything involving an end to fossil fuels. The write up is here:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/11/18/ontario-duncan-economic-update234.html#socialcomments#ixzz15fFDsbef

Talk to you later
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