First, I support the Green…

First, I support the Green Energy Act  and the efforts to establish renewable energy in Ontario and elsewhere.

Secondly we must have a Royal Commission to deal with Ontario's energy future since current plans and most likely future plans have not adequately considered alternatives. Current plans have Ontario headed down the most expensive path with unacceptable risks to the economic health and safety of Ontarians in future.

We should be planning for 100% renewable energy as many countries and cities around the world and in Canada are doing. We should be investing heavily in conservation which is by far the cheapest alternative.

Our plans to continue operation of Pickering reactors beyond their designed life span and to refurbish other nuclear reactors is irresponsible. The risk of continuing to operate Pickering and other nuclear plants is great enough that the market place and the government dictate that residents of and businesses inToronto and other municipalities have no insurance on persons/ properties should they be harmed by a serious nuclear accident. The $1 billion liability provided by federal legislation is totally inadequate. Any assistance would have to be provided by the government - in effect this is a huge subsidy to the nuclear industry and places Ontarians at serious risk despite the low probability of an event like Fukushima.

Ontario should be seeking more electrical energy from Quebec - it comes from renewable resources and is far cheaper than nuclear energy which is not renewable. Recently Quebec has indicated that it wants to enter into long term contracts for some 3 GW of energy and continues to discuss opportunities to export this energy to New York State and New England States. It is madness, economic and otherwise, that Ontario is not seeking to obtain more energy from Quebec.

Given the recent history of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), there is no reason for anyone to have confidence that it places the safety of Canadians above its priority to promote nuclear energy. CNSC has not learned the lessons of Fukushima and the conclusion that the Japanese government, regulator, and industry bear the primary responsibility for the Fukushima event - our situation does not appear to be much different.

[Original Comment ID: 206760]