Moved by Councillor Chisholm, Seconded by Councillor O'Meara as introduced at the April 26, 2021 Council meeting.
WHEREAS, the Government of Ontario is planning to increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Ontario’s gas-fired power plants by more than 300% by 2030 and by 500% or more by 2040, reversing more than 40% of the GHG reductions that were achieved by phasing out coal-fired power plants; and
WHEREAS, GHG emissions are causing temperatures to rise in Canada at more than double the rate of the rest of the world, causing impacts to municipal operations and affecting Town of Oakville residents; and
WHEREAS the Federal government recently announced that Canada will enhance our emissions reduction target under the Paris Agreement – known as a Nationally Determined Contribution– by 40-45% below 2005 levels, by 2030
WHEREAS, in February 2020, Oakville’s Town Council endorsed the Oakville Energy Task Force’s Community Energy Strategy (CES) which establishes a common vision for Oakville’s sustainable energy future that is affordable, clean and resilient and sets ambitious 2041 community-wide goals to improve energy efficiency, reduce GHG emissions and enhance the local economy.
WHEREAS, on June 24, 2019, Oakville’s Town Council unanimously endorsed a Climate Emergency declaration. The declaration carried forward a tradition of over 10 years of climate action and environmental leadership by the Town of Oakville, outlined in the Climate Emergency Report to Council; and
WHEREAS, there are feasible, cost-effective alternatives to increasing gas-fired electricity generation that support job creation and reduce GHG emissions, including, but not limited to; reducing energy demands through increasing the efficiency of Ontario’s building stock. Increasing distributed and renewable energy resources and increasing investment into municipal and community energy planning initiatives; and
WHEREAS, the Town’s Corporate Energy Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) Plan 2020 – 2024, has a target of 20% reduction in energy use and 30% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in our facilities over the next five years. The Town of Oakville remains results driven by working collaboratively with our residents and local climate action organizations; and
WHEREAS, if the Town is to meet its targets under the CES and the CDM, the Ontario electricity grid must remain low carbon. The Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan commits to reducing our emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030; and
THEREFORE be it resolved that the Council of the Town of Oakville requests the Government of Ontario:
- To place an interim cap of 2.5 megatonnes per year on GHG emissions from Ontario’s gas-fired power plants and develop and implement a plan to phase-out all gas-fired electricity generation by 2030 to ensure that Ontario meets its climate targets; and
- To direct Hydro One to build a new 20 km transmission line in Ottawa, increase our ability to import Quebec power by 17.5 billion kWh per year and direct the IESO to seek negotiated long-term electricity supply and storage (load balancing) contracts with Hydro Quebec to help phase-out our gas plants and to meet our electricity needs at a lower cost than re-building up to ten nuclear reactors; and
- To direct the IESO to purchase Made-in-Ontario wind and solar power that can keep our lights on at a cost that is less than the price of nuclear electricity (e.g., 9.6 cents per kWh in 2021); and
THAT the Council of the Town of Oakville directs the Clerk to distribute this resolution to Ontario's Premier and Minister of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and local MPPs as well as the Councils of the Halton municipalities and Ontario's municipal associations.