Why should you care about Ontario’s energy system?
You are a taxpaying, socially responsible citizen – what makes energy any concern of yours as long as it keeps your lights on, TV on, laptop running and your WIFI working?
Let’s talk food for a second to help draw a parallel to why energy matters, especially regarding where and how we produce it and use it. Most of us care about local, organic food because we know that:
- it is healthier for our bodies and our kids;
- our neighbour runs the shop that we buy it from and by buying there we support jobs in our neighbourhood;
- the food is coming from nearby and adds fewer carbon and other nasty emissions thanks to reduced transportation;
- less food waste occurs;
- our community is more prosperous because our dollars are circulating and being re-invested locally.
Living sustainably, buying locally, being “green” – this kind of awareness has become mainstream in economically, socially, and environmentally progressive rural and urban communities across Ontario.
In the same way, a distributed, integrated energy system bolsters prosperity in each community that hosts, partners, owns, and enables sustainable energy, resulting in both individual benefit for all of us as local citizens and for the province as a whole.
The energy system – including our corner gas stations, the gas lines underfoot, our furnaces, among others – is integral to our economy, good jobs, community resilience, health, and future prosperity.
“OSEA is enlisting the powerful knowledge of local people like you and industry leaders from the sector to share insights and envision a 20/20 Roadmap to a more prosperous province powered, heated and cooled, and moved by sustainable energy.”
Since 2008, when the economic downturn hit and our automotive sector floundered, we have seen billions invested in sustainable energy by citizens, communities, local and international companies, and our province. This investment has created good jobs for our youth and workers who were displaced by global forces in the construction sector, as solar and wind technicians, smart grid and district energy experts, waste management and recycling specialists, energy efficiency specialists, among other new local employment opportunities.
Communities and their utilities across the province are becoming hosts, partners, proponents, and enablers of energy efficiency, smart grid solutions, district energy systems, solar, wind, energy storage, and other forward looking improvements like renting a dumpster. Small municipalities like Brant County have installed solar projects that will create 45 full-time jobs and contribute 1.5 million dollars to the country and province in federal and provincial taxes over the course of twenty years.
Markham has built out its district energy system, and its solar programs have resulted in more than $300,000 in non-tax based revenue annually for the municipality. Toronto is investing in storage, district energy solutions, solar, bio-energy and grid upgrades. M’Chigeeng First Nation has erected two turbines, becoming the first 100% First Nations owned wind project. These are just a few exciting examples of local leadership!
Our local communities are doing great things! As Canadians, we are also making great progress. In fact, in sustainable energy investment we rank in the top four countries in the world, according to last year’s REN21 Global Status Report. Ontario with its Feed-in tariff and conservation programs enabled much of this development by empowering individuals as well as the community, public, and private sectors to become conservers and prosumers as opposed to just consumers.
But our work is not done. As antiquated power plants reach the end of their lives and a significant portion of our infrastructure needs to be upgraded in the next five to ten years, we at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) believe we need to identify portfolios of smart, firm, and flexible distributed sustainable energy projects in our communities across Ontario.
We need to look for ways to increase efficiency and effectiveness through the integration of our energy system’s electricity, heating and cooling, and transportation components. We need to ensure that our leading communities continue to push the agenda as good hosts, partners, proponents, and enablers of these solutions, demonstrating the benefits that come to those who seize the opportunity.
OSEA is enlisting the powerful knowledge of local people like you and industry leaders from the sector to share insights and envision a 20/20 Roadmap to a more prosperous province powered, heated and cooled, and moved by sustainable energy. You are invited to join us as a member, participate in our upcoming All-Energy Canada conference on April 9th and 10th and our province-wide showcase of sustainable energy during Green Energy Doors Open on October 4th 2021.
Together we can build a thriving sustainable energy sector to power Ontario’s prosperity with good jobs, resilient communities, and healthy environments. Regardless of your political affiliations, a flourishing, prosperous, and healthy Ontario remains within our reach if we work together with our neighbours and care about the choices that we make about energy.