There are two first-class…

There are two first-class biomass generating facilities in Northwestern Ontario (Resolute Fort Frances and OPG Thunder Bay) which were substantially paid for with taxpayer money and both of which are now in the possession of demolition companies. Meanwhile, our region is anticipating increased electrical demand, as electric cars and expanded mining infrastructure, coupled with electrification of the North under the Watay project and others, all come on line. This against a backdrop of record setting forest products prices, with trees being harvested as rapidly as ever but with the bark, tops and culls formerly destined for these facilities being left piled in the cutovers. Draft Plan Action 2.1: is to “Ensure that existing facilities that consume biomass for electricity generation are provided ongoing access to the provincial market at fair compensation for the value they provide to Ontario’s electricity system. This includes recognizing and, where possible, removing barriers that prevent biomass facilities from optimizing their assets.” I would respectfully submit that dismantling and smelting any existing generation plants would represent a significant barrier to their optimization. The absolute first step in developing a rational approach to the management of biomass in the province is for the minister to step in and place a moratorium on scrapping existing infrastructure until its role in our developing new economy in the Northwest can be properly assessed