26 Groups Urge Toronto to Reject Province’s Energy Plan
A coalition of 26 environmental, health, legal, and community organizations across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) has called on Toronto City Council to oppose Ontario’s new energy strategy. They warn it threatens the city’s climate ambitions and entrenches dependence on fossil fuels for decades.
Concerns Over the New Energy Plan
On October 31, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) released the final Integrated Regional Resource Plan (IRRP) for Toronto, which many see as a major step backward for the city’s climate progress.
The IESO’s proposal “undermines the city’s climate goals and locks residents into decades of fossil fuel dependence.”
City Council’s Climate Commitments
Toronto City Council has pledged to phase out the Portlands Energy Centre by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 as part of its TransformTO plan.
The new energy plan moves the city in the opposite direction despite these commitments.
Groups Involved in the Coalition
- 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
These diverse organizations stand united in urging the city to reject the province’s plan and pursue a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.
Key Takeaway
Toronto risks compromising its climate goals and continued fossil fuel reliance unless it rejects the province’s energy plan that conflicts with the city's sustainability commitments.
"Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat."
Author’s summary: A broad coalition urges Toronto to oppose Ontario’s energy plan, highlighting its threat to the city's carbon neutrality goals and fossil fuel phase-out commitments.