Government Switching To Clean Energy To Fight Climate Change

Government Switching To Clean Energy To Fight Climate Change

TORONTO, May 8, 2007 -- Canada NewsWire

Part Of The McGuinty Government's Initiatives For A Greener, Healthier

Ontario

Using 90 percent less electricity to cool Queen's Park is just one way the McGuinty government is fighting climate change, Environment Minister Laurel Broten, Energy Minister Dwight Duncan and Public Infrastructure Renewal Minister David Caplan announced today.

"The McGuinty government is leading by example to clean up Ontario's air," said Broten. "We are taking a hands-on approach to dealing with climate change and making Ontario a greener and healthier place to live."

"Friends of the Earth is pleased to see this important amendment to finish the phase out of CFCs and large inefficient chillers across Ontario," said Bea Olivastri, CEO of Friends of the Earth. "We are also happy to see the government leading by example and taking significant steps towards reducing its own carbon footprint - by switching to more energy efficient, renewable methods of cooling and powering Queens Park."

With these steps, the government is well on its way to reaching its goal of reducing energy consumption in government buildings by 10 per cent by 2007. In its first year using deep water cooling, the province expects to save nearly 10 million kilowatt hours - enough energy to power approximately 1,000 homes.

"We are asking Ontarians to embrace a culture of energy conservation, and this government is taking the lead by moving toward clean and renewable sources of energy," said Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal David Caplan. "It's a win-win situation. These projects are not only good for the environment, they're good for taxpayers."

"The McGuinty government is strongly committed to increasing our renewable energy capacity and creating a culture of conservation in every corner of Ontario," said Energy Minister Dwight Duncan. "With today's announcement, we are demonstrating our commitment, as a government, to cleaning up our air and fighting climate change."

Phasing-out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in large refrigeration equipment and chillers and designating surplus CFCs as hazardous waste in 2012 will promote energy conservation as industry replaces old outdated units with more efficient equipment. With energy conservation incentive programs such as the Building and Owners Managers Association (BOMA) program, there is an opportunity for more than 50 megawatts in savings in energy demand across the province.

"The Ontario government is doing what we are asking of all Ontarians--using energy more wisely," said Peter Love, Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation Officer. "Everybody wins. We save energy and money".

All Ontarians have a role to play in making our province greener. The government has already taken action by protecting a greenbelt that stretches across southern Ontario from development, introducing tough new laws that protect our drinking water, producing more renewable energy and doing more to conserve electricity. But we know more needs to be done. That's why the government's next step will be to announce a climate-change plan -- a step that will help all Ontarians do their part to make our province cleaner and greener while keeping the economy strong.

Managing energy use is an essential part of solving climate change. Conserving and using green, renewable energy whenever possible helps reduce our emission of greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

Today, the McGuinty government is delivering results on its commitment to reduce its energy consumption by 62 million kilowatt hours over three years. By replacing old chillers with the state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly technology, the government will reduce its electricity use in the first year of operation, by just under 10 million kilowatts hours, which is enough energy to power approximately 1,000 homes. It is estimated that this initiative will save the government $4.5 million over the next 30 years.

Deep lake water cooling technology uses water from Lake Ontario to provide a reliable, efficient and sustainable source of cooling for offices. The technology is already in use in some buildings in the downtown Toronto core. It is now being extended north from the Queen Street area to Queen's Park.

"We are proud to include the entire Queen's Park Campus as a customer of our Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) system. This connection was the catalyst that was needed to expand the network northbound through the city. The McGuinty government's commitment to DLWC has enabled Enwave to extend the environmental benefits of this innovative technology to more buildings than otherwise would have been possible," said Dennis Fotinos, President and CEO, Enwave Energy Corporation.

Enwave's Deep Lake Water Cooling System

Enwave's three intake pipes draw water from 83 metres below the surface of Lake Ontario. Naturally cold water makes its way to the City of Toronto's John Street Pumping Station. There, heat exchangers facilitate the energy transfer between icy-cold lake water and the Enwave closed chilled water supply loop. This cold energy cools Toronto's leading office buildings.

Enwave uses only the coldness from the lake water not the actual water to provide the alternative to conventional air-conditioning.

About Enwave Energy Corporation

Enwave Energy Corporation, one of the largest providers of district energy in North America, is Ontario's leading provider of outsourced cooling, heating and energy management services. Anchored by three modernized steam plants, one chilled water plant, and over 30 kilometres of distribution network, Enwave supplies reliable energy to over 150 buildings in the downtown Toronto core.

Enwave Energy Corporation is owned by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) and the City of Toronto.

Today, the Ministry of the Environment announced new improvements to Ontario's Refrigerants Regulation O. Reg 189/94. The new amendments will phase-out the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in large refrigeration equipment and chillers, and ensure surplus stocks are properly handled.

Ontario has been working with industry to update the regulation since 2003. CFCs are a potent ozone-depleting substance. The new regulatory amendments designate them hazardous waste in 2012.

Ozone-depleting substances destroy the earth's protective stratospheric ozone layer and allow higher levels of ultra-violet (UV) radiation to reach the earth. Higher UV radiation increases health risks such as skin cancer, cataracts, and the weakening of the human immune system, and damages crops and building materials. CFCs also contribute to climate change, as they are a potent greenhouse gas.

Warren Heeley of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) comments on the amendments to Refrigerants Regulation O. Reg 189/94: "This a positive step forward for Ontario and our industry. I am pleased to see that the Ministry of the Environment is encouraging extended producer responsibility through seller take-back of refrigerants containing CFCs. These regulations and resulting stewardship programs will ensure that surplus CFC refrigerants will be safely collected, transported and disposed."

The new regulatory improvements also promote increased energy conservation as industry replaces old outdated chillers and large units with more efficient equipment. By partnering these regulatory changes with energy conservation incentive programs such as the Building and Owners Managers Association (BOMA) program, there is an opportunity for more than 50 megawatts (MW) in savings in energy demand across the province.

The BOMA program represents a $75 million investment by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) and is part of a larger initiative being led by the OPA to conserve 330 MW of energy in Toronto by 2010. Funding will be available from the BOMA program for heating and cooling system upgrades, equipment replacement and alternative heating and cooling systems as well as lighting upgrades and conservation measures.

The Ministry of the Environment's Head Office, which is located outside the Queen's Park compound, has switched to Bullfrog Power -- 100 per cent clean, renewable energy as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Bullfrog Power is the first 100% green electricity retailer in Ontario. It is the only electricity retailer in Ontario that buys power exclusively from wind and low-impact hydro generators who meet or exceed the federal government's Environmental Choice Program EcoLogo standard for renewable electricity. Bullfrog Power's energy mix is a blend of clean wind and low-impact hydro power that is 100 per cent renewable and emission-free. The electricity produced by these sources is injected into the Ontario grid, the common power pool that delivers power to homes and businesses throughout the province.

The Ministry of the Environment will continue to draw electricity from the grid, but the difference is that now the ministry is supporting renewable power with its electricity dollars, rather than coal, nuclear, oil and gas.

Making the switch to Bullfrog Power is simple, and requires no new equipment. It costs an additional $0.03 per kWh. The Ministry of the Environment will offset this cost by implementing additional energy efficiency strategies.

Tom Heintzman, President of Bullfrog Power comments: "We're delighted that the Ontario Ministry of the Environment is showing leadership in supporting clean, renewable energy by switching its Head Office to Bullfrog Power. We're firm believers that all sectors of society - commercial, industrial, government, academic, and not-for-profit - together with individual citizens have a role to play in combating climate change, and ensuring that renewable energy continues to play an important part of Ontario's energy supply mix."

To support Ontario's commitment to phase-out coal and increase our use of clean renewable energy, the government has entered into agreements to purchase power from 18 new renewable energy projects, which include waterpower, landfill gas, biogas and wind projects. Nine of these projects have reached commercial operation and are currently supplying power to Ontario's electricity grid. These 18 projects represent more than 1,300 MW of clean, renewable electricity - enough to power more than 300,000 homes.

SOURCE: Ontario Ministry of the Environment

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