The Government's proposal to…

The Government's proposal to repeal provisions prioritizing renewable energy is foolish and backward in the extreme, and indeed it comes at exactly the wrong moment in history. The world at large is well on the way to a multi-trillion-dollar green energy revolution. Initially a response to the climate emergency, this transformation has become something more: a flight from the deep economic liabilities now besetting the fossil fuel industry and a race to seize the opportunities that come with new sources of energy that are not only renewable but fast becoming cheaper than either coal or gas.

As with other major economic upheavals, there will be winners and losers to this one. The winners will be those that adapt to changes before they arrive and seize opportunities before they are taken by others. Which will Ontario be?

There are compelling environmental reasons to embrace renewable energy on an urgent basis. However, for anyone who has examined current global trends in energy costs and deployment, the economic reasons are at least as compelling. If Ontario is to be a winner and reap the benefits of leadership in the current energy transformation, it must set aside ideology, apply common sense and prioritize renewable energy now.