Ontario town snubs Ford’s gas-fired power plant expansion plans

Halton Hills town council has rejected Atura's power plant expansion proposal, voting 9-2 against a new gas-fired plant.

Despite Atura's offer of nearly $3.5 million over 12 years to the Halton Hills Community Benefit Fund, the council refused Monday to support the project after community outcry over concerns the proposed plant would lead to greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants.

Atura Power is a subsidiary of publicly owned Ontario Power Generation (OPG), which holds the contract for the expansion.

In an email response, Atura said that while it is disappointed Halton Hills council did not support the expansion of the Halton Hills Generating Station, it respects the decision and looks forward to providing the town with reliable and affordable electricity for years to come.

Halton Hills, about 68 killometres northwest of Toronto, already hosts Ontario's second-largest gas plant, with a capacity of 683 megawatts (MW). The proposed gas plant would have contributed up to 265 MW of additional electricity output to Ontario’s power grid.

Coun. Jane Fogal, co-founder of the Halton Hills Climate Action team, voted against the gas plant expansion. She told Canada's National Observer that council members received hundreds of messages over the past few weeks from residents urging the rejection of Atura’s proposal.

“I believe this decision was a great victory for the community and a victory for all the people who are looking for leadership on the climate change campaign,” said Fogal. “Our residents all wanted us to consider climate change and health implications. I think everyone learned through their research that the $450 million to build a new plant would be much better invested in cleaner, healthier and, importantly, cheaper alternatives ranging from solar and wind to battery storage and increasing supply from Quebec.”

Fogal hopes the council's decision will further pressure the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to abandon this “unacceptable expansion” of gas-fired power plants. Instead, she urges an immediate shift toward ramping up green, clean renewables, along with other strategies, such as bi-directional EV batteries, load shifting by large customers and the most cost-effective solution — investment in efficiency programs.

“It is marvellous that we now have so many clean, green, cost-effective strategies to increase our electricity supply and its reliability to ensure we reap the maximum benefit from the electrification of nearly everything,” she added.

“Our confidence in the alternatives will hopefully convince other municipalities to say no to the expanded use of fossil fuels.”

Coun. Clark Somerville, who represents the ward where the expansion would have been, said he was originally prepared to support Atura’s request. But after receiving a call from someone in the medical field about an increase in asthma rates among children due to emissions in nearby Milton and Mississauga, he changed his mind because he didn’t want to be responsible for that. “I just couldn't support the plan … based on the emissions. I still have asthma. It is real to me when I hear that.”

Environmental advocates applauded the council's decision and emphasized the importance of cleaner energy sources in the fight against climate change.

"Halton Hills has demonstrated that it is serious about its climate commitments, a lesson our provincial government could learn from,” said Angela Bischoff, director of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, an environmental advocacy group. “While world leaders in Dubai grapple to sign an agreement on fossil fuel phaseout or phasedown, Halton Hills [council] showed local leadership … for clean air and climate action with a decisive decision to not endorse Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plans to build a large … gas-fired power plant in their community.”

Perhaps OPG might now like to use that $3.5 million to help the people of Halton Hills install solar panels on their rooftops, she added. “It's time for Ontario to start investing in low-cost, made-in-Ontario wind and solar energy instead.”

Last month, environmental groups criticized the Greater Napanee council's decision to approve the addition of another turbine at its generating station, endorsing a bid by Atura to expand the plant despite concerns from residents about more fossil fuel emissions. Some also question the motives behind the approval, pointing to the offer of $4.8 million by Atura to Napanee's Community Benefit Fund in exchange for a thumbs-up.

In October 2022, the IESO recommended Ontario acquire up to 1,500 MW of new gas-fired power generation. Subsequently, the energy ministry instructed the IESO to start the procurement process.

The ministry also instructed the IESO to clarify the need for energy project proponents to secure local council support. The IESO decided project proponents must secure a municipal resolution of support to be eligible for a contract.

Recently, Thorold city council voted to deny Northland Power's proposed gas plant expansion in the city's south in response to mounting concerns over emissions and the environmental impact of the $300-million project. The council’s decision echoed a growing global sentiment to prioritize cleaner energy alternatives.

This story was produced in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights for the Afghan Journalists-in-Residence program funded by the Meta Journalism Project.