wind and nuclear

Wind can't replace nuclear
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Posted 1 day ago


Editor:


Gideon Forman's letter urging us "to phase out conventional power and switch over to renewables, including wind turbines", demonstrates lack of technical understanding. It is not possible to replace coal or nuclear plants with wind turbines. They average only about 27% output in Ontario. Without base load plants such as nuclear, hydro, coal or gas we would all be without power the majority of the time no matter how many wind turbines or solar plants were built. The wind simply doesn't blow all the time at the required velocity and the sun often doesn't shine. Ontario is now constructing natural gas plants to back up renewables and it is those gas plants that will replace coal, not wind or solar.

Moreover, the Suzuki Foundation cautions: Unlike coal, "emissions of fine particulates from natural gas-fired power plants are dangerously small. They have the greatest impact on human health" because they "end up deep in the lungs. . . . Many studies have found no safe limit for exposure".

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) plan of October, 2007 concluded that adding any substantial amount of wind power to Ontario's grid "would result in higher greenhouse gas emissions because of the need to install back-up gas plants".

Studies by the Irish Electricity Supply Board and the German Institute for Economic Research both confirm that CO2 emissions actually increase as a direct result of having to cope with the variation of wind-power output.

So what will the wind turbines and solar panels accomplish? Our government has contracted to pay 4 to 20 times above market rates for "green" electricity. Ratepayers will also pay for the gas to back up the wind as well as over $5 billion for new transmission lines. Our hydro bills are beginning to skyrocket. They have already risen 16% since November 2008. Two more rises of 9.6% and 13.3% have been applied for. The new HST and smart metres are estimated to cost us another 20%. And a new renewable energy program tax of $4 per year starts April 15. When electricity prices increase sharply, our province becomes less competitive. Manufacturers relocate. Unemployment causes the tax base to shrink.

The OPA report noted that it was more cost effective to develop hydro generation north of Sudbury rather than developing additional wind generation in southern or northern Ontario. Instead of listening to his expert advisors, former Energy Minister George Smitherman took control of the OPA and demanded inflated compensation for renewable electricity producers. He then abruptly resigned.

Keith Stelling Central Bruce-Grey Wind Concerns Ontario