Solar Industries Association

Don’t blame renewable energy for Ontario’s rising power prices

John Gorman, president and CEO of Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA)

ONTARIO- It is not surprising that electricity prices are an issue in the Ontario election campaign. It is an opportunity for healthy debate, and an opportunity to set the record straight. No one can dispute the fact that hydro bills are rising. We all feel the pain.

But wiping out the structure of an entire green energy program, including all the positive work done over the years, because it is thought to be politically expedient is not only misguided but would be a huge setback for Ontario. The solar industry creates jobs, and provides opportunities for homeowners, local businesses, municipalities, farmers, and aboriginal to supply clean and emissions-free electricity to the electricity grid.

But while the cost of electricity from conventional energy sources continues to increase, the reality is that the production of solar energy has little to do with consumers’ electricity bills going up. As a recent study by Power Advisory LLC says “solar represents less than 4 per cent of the average electricity bill today, growing to an estimated 6 per cent of the average electricity bill in 2024 when much more solar generation will be connected to the grid”

The benefits of solar energy can’t be overstated, and they are certainly worth the investment. It provides electricity during the day, periods of highest demand when the cost of electricity is most expensive. Even our neighbours (neighbors) to the south are embracing solar and the industry there is growing at a fast pace An International Energy Agency 2014 report indicates that globally, photovoltaic’s technology today “has become a major actor in the electricity sector in several countries. Globally, at least 160 billion kWh will be produced in 2014 by PV systems installed and commissioned until January 2014.”

Ontario needs a variety of energy sources to work together to keep the lights on. Energy must be delivered to consumers when it is needed and each generation source has a role to play. When you take into account all the many benefits of solar power, it is clearly an efficient and environmentally effective energy source. Using renewable energy as a scapegoat for our rising electricity costs is extremely short sighted. Blaming solar and wind for increasing hydro bills is misleading, and is clearly done solely for political gains. Continuing to do so will have drastic and negative affects on our province and indeed our country.

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