December 16, 2016   Re:…

December 16, 2016

 

Re: Support communities to go 100% renewable

 

Dear Minister,

 

I believe that Ontario must take a different approach to developing renewable energy sources to be 100% powered by Renewable Energy by 2050. I want Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP) to take such an approach to developing our geoexchange resources.

 

While I am a strong believer in putting conservation first, I also recognize that this will only get us part of the way there. Many older urban homes were built with different materials that limit the efficiency gains that can be made at a reasonable cost and this means finding a carbon free solution to heating and cooling them. Geoexchange systems are the answer.

 

Moving to geoexchange heating and cooling – it’s not too expensive, it’s free.

 

The Canadian Constitution gives Ontario the rights to energy and natural resources; it is time to commercially develop our geothermal energy resources to heat and cool our buildings (geoexchange resources).

 

The first step is to recognize that the current and past approaches to using geoexchange resources failed; for building owners the cost of developing the resource on their own is too high; for governments the cost of subsidies to encourage individual building owners to develop the resource was too high; and for businesses the lack of guaranteed long term access to the resources and markets make it imprudent to invest in developing the resources.

 

The second step is to create a different approach to developing geoexchange energy resources, a market based approach. By using and/or adapting policies employed in other parts of the energy industry Ontario can create a new market that producer/distributers and customers are confident in. Using regulatory bodies to manage the natural monopolies – similar to gas production and distributors – created when developing and using local geo-exchange resources will be necessary to protect both suppliers and consumers.

 

By adapting the policy frameworks which support multibillion dollar capital investments in the oil and gas sector, Ontario can signal to the energy industry that there will be a place for them in our low carbon energy future. By using lease and royalty programs to regulate access and use of geoexchange resources, Ontario can create the economic certainty companies and investors need to justify building and operating district-based geoexchange systems.

 

By regulating and charging for access to geoexchange resources the province can also turn a major climate challenge into a new source of sustainable government revenue. Working together with municipalities, public and privately owned utilities, and community power cooperatives, Ontario can continue reducing its reliance on fossil fuels, while also keeping homes and business comfortable.

 

Key components of a new approach to developing geoexchange resources will include:

 

•Exercising provincial authority to develop the resource and to set new terms and conditions for its use.

 

•Developing policies to regulate access – which could be a public auction similar to those held granting access to non-renewable resources – and set royalty fees.

 

•Developing policies to regulate the distribution and sale of the resource. The new systems will be natural monopolies like gas and electricity distributors and will need similar rules regulations.

 

•Provincial Municipal negotiations to develop consistent by-laws and regulations to encourage investments in cities across the province.

 

•Updating curriculums for post-secondary education institutions and worker training programs to offer training and apprenticeship programs for the workforce needed to build and operate the new systems.

 

•Provincial Municipal negotiations to develop revenue sharing agreements, preferably directing the funds to pay for local infrastructure projects in the communities where the revenue is generated; this will encourage municipal governments to work to roll out the new infrastructure system as quickly as possible.

 

Key benefits of this approach are:

 

•It doesn’t require significant government funding, companies will make the capital investments if the policy framework is there to support them.

 

•It doesn’t require home and business owners to become resource developers, they just upgrade to a new heating system and cooling system like they did when they transitioned from coal to oil and oil to gas.

 

•It provides large investment opportunities for companies wanting to provide heating and cooling services to business and individuals – including a transitional path for companies currently delivery fossil based heating fuels.

 

•It creates skilled jobs in local communities across the province.

 

•It creates a new sustainable source of government revenue based on a renewable carbon free energy source.

 

•By investing the revenue in local transit infrastructure projects it will help fund reducing emissions in the transportation sector– the largest source of emissions in the province - as well. Ontario’s Long-term Energy Plan should empower community groups and Municipalities to become energy producers. I want Ontario to continue to ensure citizens and communities have opportunities to own and participate in renewable energy projects.

 

I believe this approach – moving to local district energy systems - will help reduce the impacts of climate change and support communities during the increasingly common extreme weather events such as ice storms, flooding and severe heat.

 

I want Ontario to empower local communities, municipalities and industry to find common ground to support building a Province powered with 100% renewable energy. With a slight shift in perspective and approach it can be done.

 

Thank you for taking the time to consider my thoughts, I hope it helps you as you are developing Ontario’s next Long Term Energy Plan.

 

Sincerely,

 

Paul Mero

 

[Original Comment ID: 207200]