Governments are elected to…

Governments are elected to do what is both necessary and possible, not what is expedient. It is necessary and feasible to plan for, and achieve, 100% renewable energy for urban, rural and remote communities. I want to see this Ministry offer multiple energy solutions (which may include nuclear in the short term) in order to test, and ultimately champion (in the appropriate situations), energy-producing methodologies including wind, solar, biogas, geothermal and the like. If renewable energy solutions are presented in cookie-cutter, ready-made packages for communities to try, then (i) the learning curve can be reduced for later adopters, (ii) information about successes and failures can be shared, and changes made, and (iii) the necessary move toward 100% renewable energy in Ontario can be started.

Local initiatives work best. And when they succeed, many others follow - there is nothing like "word of mouth", as advertisers well know. "Buy in" is crucial to success and it is easier to obtain in small populations. Germany, for eg., has a large concentration of wind farm local-community co-ops because people will stomach looking at the turbine-filled landscape when they are "their own". People in Brooklyn and Australia are putting solar panels on roofs and selling their excess energy to non-solar neighbours through bit-chain technologies. Government can and must be a facilitator of local initiatives, including energy co-ops, both through funding and through offering strong technical support and advice, and having a dedicated research facility that supports both policy and technical practices. The latter is crucial because even with all the will in the world, innovators within communities cannot do it by themselves. A funding mechanism is also important, and the use of ordinary or municipal-type bonds must be looked at by securities, tax and energy regulators to remove any unnecessary barriers.

When people are enjoying renewable energy personally, they will want their commercial environment to do the same. Some businesses already understand the importance of this issue. They may be slow to adopt, however, until there is more community, client, and peer-to-peer pressure than there is currently.

[Original Comment ID: 207025]