Wind and solar power: Hot topics in Ontario's provincial election

WWF

Renewable energy is one of the major solutions available to the world to deal with climate change. WWF has a vision of 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2050, as outlined in our Energy Report.  Below, WWF provides a synopsis of each provincial party’s position* on renewable energy based on their election platforms.
WWF congratulates all parties on committing to end coal power in Ontario. Coal power has dropped 94 percent in Ontario since 2003. When the phase-out of coal is complete, this will be the single-largest climate change initiative in North America to be achieved by 2014.
The Green Party of Ontario will:

  • keep Ontario’s current renewable energy program
  • continue building renewable energy, like solar and wind power
  • require that wind and solar projects have local ownership and approval
  • require local participation in energy projects
  • not invest in new nuclear power
  • focus on conservation, renewable energy, energy efficiency
  • import hydro power from Quebec

Read the entire platform here.
The Liberal Party of Ontario will:

  • keep Ontario’s current renewable energy program – the Green Energy Act
  • continue building renewable energy, like solar and wind power
  • decrease nuclear power use by 8%
  • continue to build Ontario’s renewable energy economy – 20,000 jobs have been created and $20 billion in private investment has been committed to the province
  • focus on energy efficiency, saving 7,100 MW (about two Pickering power plants equivalent) of power by 2030

Read the entire platform here.
The New Democratic Party of Ontario will:

  • end Ontario’s current renewable energy program
  • keep a $7 billion investment in renewable energy from Samsung
  • keep all other current renewable energy projects & change the model to small and community based projects
  • increase Ontario’s long-term renewable energy target for the year 2030
  • not invest in any new nuclear power but in energy efficiency and conservation instead
  • import hydro power from Quebec

Read the entire platform here.

The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario will:

  • end Ontario’s current renewable energy program
  • focus on natural gas, hydro-electric, and nuclear power
  • consider solar and wind energy as options, and improve renewable energy programming (though their plan to do so was not included in their platform)
  • end a $7 billion dollar investment in renewable energy in Ontario from Samsung
  • keep all other current renewable energy projects, but no further contracts will be offered

Read the entire platform here.
* posted in alphabetical order; facts taken from party position platforms and official communication directly from parties