Environmental Law

Kelly McParland: Ontario quietly reverses field on wind, solar energy | Full Comment | National Post

By STEPHEN HOLZER

Times of international turmoil are great moments for domestic governments to make important announcements they don?t want to be noticed. Especially if the announcement involves a sudden reversal in policy that could seriously embarrass the government.

So Friday afternoon was an ideal time for Ontario?s Liberal government to take a big chunk of its alternative energy program and chuck it overboard. Attention was riveted on Egypt, where spectacular events were unfolding.  The perfect opportunity for Premier Dalton McGuinty to engineer yet another major reversal, while paying a minimal price among voters.

After years of touting wind projects as a critical piece of the alternative energy puzzle, the government let slip ? very quietly ? that offshore wind projects are no longer part of the game plan. Turns out there just isn?t enough scientific evidence that offshore wind projects do a lick of good, said Brad Duguid, the energy minister.

via fullcomment.nationalpost.com

Full post as published by Environmental Legal Blogs on February 13, 2011 (boomark / email).