Give renewable energy a chance

Canada faces some difficult choices when it comes to energy. We are engaged in debates about two approaches to energy:

1) expanding fossil fuel exploration, mining and drilling, and the construction of new power plants, or

2) more energy efficiency, conservation, decentralized renewable energy technologies (RETs), and regulations on energy use.

Opinions reflect sharp divides based on our geo-political positioning. In mid-February, CBC commissioned an online poll on what Canadians think of the energy sector. About 80 per cent thought that we should do more to support the development of clean energy and the associated technology industry.

On attitudes toward energy, the economy, and the environment, the poll showed that 92 per cent were concerned about the economy, 70 per cent recognized that energy plays a key role in the economy, 84 per cent were concerned about protecting the environment and 56 per cent were more worried about the economy than the environment.

A 2007 Thunder Bay Citizen Survey found that 86 per cent of respondents agreed that environmentally-friendly energy projects should be a priority for capital projects.

While people agree that the economy and energy are important for development, the majority acknowledges that we can no longer ignore environmental issues and climate change issues.

De-carbonization efforts are changing Canada’s energy landscape. Low-carbon electricity generation from renewable sources — large hydroelectric dams (72 per cent) and run-of-the-river small hydroelectric (4 per cent), biomass (15 per cent), wind (8 per cent), and solar photovoltaic (1 per cent) — is carving a sustainable energy path.

However, Canada’s development of low-impact RET is falling behind most industrialized nations due to a lack of market support and the absence of appropriate government policies and initiatives.

Current technologies can make a significant contribution to Canada’s carbon emission reduction commitments, help tackle climate change, bring about economic spin-offs like job creation and lower health-care costs. The recent federal budget made allowances for reducing carbon emissions, but it is not yet clear how these will roll out.

We are on the cusp of entering the third generations of RETs. The first generation technologies of hydropower, biomass combustion, geothermal are mature and economically competitive.

The second generation of RET is market-ready and includes solar heating, photovoltaics, onshore and offshore wind power and modern bioenergy. These RETs make up less than 1 per cent of the total primary energy consumption.

The Canadian Industrial Energy End-Use Data and Analysis Centre (CIEEDAC) at Simon Fraser University lists over 1,300 individual renewable energy facilities in Canada. David Ryczko, Solar Logix Inc., Thunder Bay has stressed that solar panels and photovoltaic technology are beginning to find niche applications.

The third generation of RETs include biomass gasification, biorefineries, solar thermal, hot-dry-rock geothermal, and ocean energy. These technologies are heavily dependent on second generation technologies proving their commercial viability.

Ontario’s renewable energy mix is at crossroads too. A centralized power system — a grid that transmits power from large, state-funded power generation units, such as nuclear (57 per cent), hydroelectricity (25 per cent), and natural gas (11 per cent) — is powering our households. Further, Ontario took a smart and ambitious step in shutting down the last of its coal-fired power plants.

While Ontarians get a taste of clean air, there is now a need to eliminate all the other forms of fossil pollution that still dominate.

One such debatable energy source is nuclear, an expensive (and controversial) choice. Though it produces large amounts of electricity with low carbon emissions, mining and enriching uranium is very energy intensive.

As well there is the reality that waste from nuclear fission remains highly toxic for thousands of years; storage and disposal of this waste remains a serious concern.

Ontario's Green Energy Act, 2009 (GEA) and the Renewable Energy Approval (REA) are strengthening the province’s commitment to conservation. These measures reflect Ontario’s leadership in harvesting benefits for the economy, public health and the environment that renewable energy projects create. Specifically, the act created a Feed-in Tariff that guarantees specific rates for energy generated from renewable sources. The choices Ontario makes are critical to a sustainable future.

Renewable energy development is not a silver bullet, nor is it universally supported. There are not only technical challenges, but also social, environmental, economic and political issues that are equally pressing. However, with the improvement of renewables’ storage, efficiency, availability, and declining costs, a shift has started.

With possible government green investments, now is the time for more dialogue about renewable sources, existing RETs, infrastructure and storage requirements and cost-benefit optimums.

Individuals are contributing to the dialogue. Jane Oldale and Frank Ilczyszyn, who reside in the Municipality of Neebing (southwest of Thunder Bay), have made a conscious lifestyle choice to remain off-grid for decades and rely on solar and wind power. They emphasize that energy literacy and conservation at the household level are important for making informed choices.

Julie Rosenthal, a faculty member at Lakehead University, has chosen renewable options to meet her power needs. She found that the lifestyle changes haven't been as difficult as she first expected. The Nolalu Eco Centre in Thunder Bay, supported by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp., offers tours showing ecology-centred living.

Community-based and decentralized renewable energy projects, with high levels of public participation, are finding more acceptance than top-down development of large-scale schemes. As consumers, we have choices about how we would like to power and heat our homes and businesses. It is time for energy transition dialogues that consider renewable energy technologies as sustainable options.

Original Post: ROOPA RAKSHIT