Clean, affordable energy

Re: Turbines blow past coal output, Jan. 14.

It was with great interest that I read this article regarding the strides wind energy has made recently in its contribution to Ontario’s energy supply mix.

Indeed, wind-generated energy increased in 2012, as noted by updated figures from the Independent Energy System Operator to an alltime high of three per cent of Ontario’s needs.

Renewables, such as wind, are a necessary part of our energy future. That much is clear. What’s also clear is that we need a combination of sources that provide a balance of what’s clean, affordable and reliable. Energy from wind power alone simply cannot meet our province’s needs — it must work with others in the mix.

Our research has identified natural-gas-generated electricity as the most economical choice that works in line with our environmental goals. It is storable and quickly dispatched as needed, unlike renewable energies. It requires a fraction of the environmental footprint that renewables do, and natural gas prices are the lowest they have been in the last 10 years.

What’s more, natural gas produces almost half the CO2 emissions of coal. It’s a large part of the reason that Ontario is, in fact, meeting its goals for lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Let’s not lose sight that a balanced supply mix is the best thing for a clean and affordable energy future in Ontario.

PHIL WALSH, PhD, associate professor, Centre for Urban Energy, Ryerson University, Toronto