Approximately 25 OPG workers are still employed at the closed coal Lambton station to preserve its idled condition for possible future conversion. How many other closed coal plants employ people to do very little?
The Atikokan converted biomass plant operates at less than 10 per cent of capacity and produces power at eight times the cost of some other Ontario biomass plants. A biomass plant in Thunder Bay runs at 2% capacity and cost's 25x more to run than other biomass plants.
Then there is the outrageous contracts to produce wind power up to 40 cents a kwh for the next 15 years, and 80 cents a kwh for solar power for the next 15 years we are still on the hook for.
Then there is our new hydroelectric generating station in Niagara Falls running at partial capacity. The Wynne Liberals now have slightly lowered the price we are paying for new solar and wind power being produced and you wonder why our hydro rates at peak time has quadrupled since 2003 when we paid 4.3 cents all day long.
Ross Ayotte
Smiths Falls, Ont
