The high cost of hydro
Dear Editor:
This letter is to the people of Ontario: don't be fooled by McGuinty's vision of hydro.
What would you rather pay, 4 to 8 cents per kilowatt from gas and nuclear power plants or 80 cents per kilowatt for wind and solar power? Who can afford to pay 80 cents per kilowatt for power?
Don't forget, hydro is expected to rise to 21 cents per kilowatt by 2015, and the cost will continue to rise as more wind and solar power comes on board. Yes, Ontario will have a new power grid, but we will be living in the dark — who will be able to afford to turn their lights on?
What is more disturbing is McGuinty's $7-billion deal with Samsung to produce wind power. Ontario's PC energy critic, John Yakabuski, put forward a motion that would require McGuinty to open up the deal and disclose the details of the agreement.
Liberals talk of accountability and transparency. The Liberals voted to keep the details of the deal secret. One has to ask: if it is such a good deal, why is McGuinty keeping it from the people of Ontario? This is what we do know, despite the government's lack of disclosure: the Premier was forced to admit that the deal contained no job guarantees despite a $437-million subsidy.
I would also like to note, under Ontario's Green Energy Act, a feed-in tariff will siphon $3.8 billion from consumers' pockets by 2015 to subsidize wind and solar power producers.
Just stop and think for a moment: McGuinty is subsidizing producers of wind and solar power with taxpayers' money, but we will still be charged up to 20 times the price for this power than if we were producing power from nuclear or gas power plants. Gas power plants have very strict emission standards.
Ontario consumers and industries are on their way to experiencing the highest electricity rates in North America, if not most of the world. The Ontario Energy Board has prepared forecasts of how much Ontario consumers are going to have to pay for electricity over the next five years. The McGuinty government will not release this report - what is he afraid of?
Ross Ayotte
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
This letter is to the people of Ontario: don't be fooled by McGuinty's vision of hydro.
What would you rather pay, 4 to 8 cents per kilowatt from gas and nuclear power plants or 80 cents per kilowatt for wind and solar power? Who can afford to pay 80 cents per kilowatt for power?
Don't forget, hydro is expected to rise to 21 cents per kilowatt by 2015, and the cost will continue to rise as more wind and solar power comes on board. Yes, Ontario will have a new power grid, but we will be living in the dark — who will be able to afford to turn their lights on?
What is more disturbing is McGuinty's $7-billion deal with Samsung to produce wind power. Ontario's PC energy critic, John Yakabuski, put forward a motion that would require McGuinty to open up the deal and disclose the details of the agreement.
Liberals talk of accountability and transparency. The Liberals voted to keep the details of the deal secret. One has to ask: if it is such a good deal, why is McGuinty keeping it from the people of Ontario? This is what we do know, despite the government's lack of disclosure: the Premier was forced to admit that the deal contained no job guarantees despite a $437-million subsidy.
I would also like to note, under Ontario's Green Energy Act, a feed-in tariff will siphon $3.8 billion from consumers' pockets by 2015 to subsidize wind and solar power producers.
Just stop and think for a moment: McGuinty is subsidizing producers of wind and solar power with taxpayers' money, but we will still be charged up to 20 times the price for this power than if we were producing power from nuclear or gas power plants. Gas power plants have very strict emission standards.
Ontario consumers and industries are on their way to experiencing the highest electricity rates in North America, if not most of the world. The Ontario Energy Board has prepared forecasts of how much Ontario consumers are going to have to pay for electricity over the next five years. The McGuinty government will not release this report - what is he afraid of?
Ross Ayotte
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
