Ontario — Shutdown of Coal Plants Raised Electricity Rates, Failed to Reduce Pollution

Antonella Artuso — Toronto Sun — January 17, 2017

Ontario’s hell-bent determination to phase out coal-fired generation raised electricity rates without significantly improving air pollution levels, a new Fraser Institute report says.

Report co-author Ross McKitrick, an economics professor at the University of Guelph, said the findings should act as a cautionary tale for Alberta and Ottawa currently going down the same road.

Even though there was reliable information available at the time that showed Ontario coal was not a big player in common air pollution ingredients, the political agenda made it impossible to discuss less expensive options to full closure, he said.

“They just demonized it up and down — made it impossible to even have the conversation,” added McKitrick. “They turned it into a really dirty word and that had the effect of shutting down the whole discussion even before it began which, of course, led to a lot of really bad decision making … The lessons translate directly over to Alberta.”  Continue reading here…..

See also Lorrie Goldsteins’ column on the same subject:  Again, Grits Got it Wrong with Closure of Coal-Fired Plants