BLUE GREEN CANADA For Immediate Release: March 22, 2012
Blue Green Canada Applauds Cross Party Cooperation to Uphold the Green Energy Act and support Ontario’s Growing Clean Energy Manufacturing Sector, following the Conclusion of the FIT Review
Toronto, ON – Blue Green Canada, an alliance between Canadian labour unions and environmental organizations, applauds the completion of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) review, announced today. The preservation of the domestic content requirements and plans to accelerate renewable energy development demonstrates a commitment to Ontario’s burgeoning clean energy manufacturing sector and the thousands of green jobs the program has helped create.
In addition to the conclusion of the Feed-in Tariff review, a bill that would have repealed the Green Energy Act was defeated in the Legislature today, as New Democrats and Liberals stood together to support this vital piece of progressive legislation.
“Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff program, with its crucial domestic content requirements, is widely agreed to be North America’s best renewable energy legislation and most powerful green jobs engine,” said Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers Union’s Canadian National Director. “It is great to see NDP and Liberal members working together to support it, and to support this rapidly growing industry. With Ontario’s manufacturing sector suffering of late, green energy is one of the bright spots.”
“With this review, we feel that Ontario has got it right,” said Dr. Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defence. “Moving the target of 10,700 MW of green energy forward, from the original date 2018 to 2015, is an acknowledgement of how quickly this sector has come together, and the capacity that they now have. And, the reduction in prices is also a signal that the program is working as planned. Feed-in Tariffs are designed to make clean energy more affordable and that’s exactly what has happened. What’s truly remarkable is how quickly it has come about. On both counts, the program has beat expectations.”
"This is good news. This will strengthen Ontario communities through jobs that result in lower green house gas emissions," said Charley Beresford, Columbia Institute's Executive Director.
Thanks to the Feed-in Tariff and its domestic content requirements, over 30 manufacturing facilities have opened across the province and thousands of direct jobs have been created, with many more to come in the years ahead. The Feed-in Tariff and the industry it has spawned clearly illustrates the good jobs and a clean environment can go hand in hand.
Ontarians want to move forward, not backwards, and continue to invest in sustainable energy and jobs, for today and the future. The Green Energy and Economy Act is a crucial step in this direction, and it’s re-launch today is a welcome announcement.
About Blue Green Canada (www.bluegreencanada.ca): Blue Green Canada is an alliance between Canadian environmental organizations and labour unions to advocate for working people and the environment by promoting solutions to environmental issues that have positive employment and economic impacts. The alliance is based upon the realization that a future sustainable economy must provide good jobs and protect the environment, not one or the other.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Bob Gallagher, United Steelworkers Union, 416-544-5966 or 416-544-5991 bgallagher@usw.ca
Stephanie Kohls, Environmental Defence, (416) 323-9521 ext. 232; (647) 280-9521 (cell) skohls@environmentaldefence.ca
Charley Beresford, Columbia Institute, 778-772-8188 charley@columbiainstitute.ca
