26 Groups Urge Toronto to Reject Ontario’s Fossil-Fueled Energy Plan
Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat.
A coalition of 26 environmental, health, legal, and community organizations from across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) has urged Toronto City Council to reject the provincial government’s new energy plan. The groups argue that the plan conflicts with Toronto’s climate commitments and would tie residents to decades of fossil fuel dependency.
“This plan undermines the city’s climate objectives and locks Toronto into fossil fuel use for generations,” the coalition stated.
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) released its final Integrated Regional Resource Plan (IRRP) for Toronto on October 31. Environmental advocates say this plan represents a major setback for Toronto’s path toward net-zero emissions.
Toronto City Council previously committed to eliminating the Portlands Energy Centre by 2035 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2040 under its TransformTO strategy. Critics argue that the IESO’s proposal takes the city in the opposite direction of those goals.
Organizations Involved
- Environmental Defence
- Ontario Clean Air Alliance
- Toronto East Residents for Renewable Energy (TERRE)
- Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)
- Seniors for Climate Action Now! Toronto
Author’s Summary
The article details how 26 Ontario-based groups are urging Toronto’s leaders to reject a provincial energy plan that could derail the city’s net-zero ambitions.