Editor,
Most people in Ontario are impacted by daily weather extremes caused by global warming. We can no longer be guided by historical weather patterns. Even ‘Tornado Alley’ is shifting, putting Ontario well within reach.
The rapid growth of electrification is not going to slow down. It is driven by EVs, heat pumps, and millions of internet connected devices that use AIs and their massive electricity consuming data centers. Our electrical grid infrastructure was never designed to support this growth and remain 100% stable. It is time to deal with this issue.
We need to implement electrical grid storage. We need to add more clean generation sources like solar and wind and maybe even small modular nuclear reactors.
The OPS project is mainly providing energy storage to help stabilize the grid. It will help to handle much higher peak loads and outages without the use of gas powered backup generators that contribute to the global warming problem.
The SGB PAC is not really focused on the much bigger energy issues we face in Ontario. They are focused on their sheltered lake homes and cottages moderated by the bay.
The SGB PAC has written, complained and demonstrated about OPS for years now. It’s now time to stop all that histrionics. They need to do some real work to offer us their solution to the problems that we ALL face in Ontario.
The SGB pack needs to:
- Quit complaining about Meaford councillors trying get the most benefits they can from TCE. It’s a very hard job trying to keep taxes under control, roads repaired and cleared in winter, infrastructure (water and sewage) built. Any help they can get from TCE is a big win for our town and taxpayers.
- Find a specific, currently available, solution they can agree upon. (Not lithium batteries. They are fine for vehicles and home backup storage with 10 year life cycles. I have those solutions and know their limitations).
- Find a business partner who will work with them to build their solution.
- Find a location where it would be built; safe from flooding and forest fire.
- Fully describe the project, its timeline and costs of a 50 to 100 year solution. How many times should we buy a battery solution? Don’t forget the cost of a large capacity power line to the most appropriate grid sub station.
- Compare their solution to OPS.
- Energy storage is not just about Meaford. SGB needs to persuade the Ontario government and all Ontarians that their solution is better than OPS. Doing nothing is not a solution.
- Arrange for financing and ongoing operational costs, staffing, taxes etc.
- Get all the permits and approvals to proceed.
- Sign the contracts and buy the property and equipment to get the project done.
If they can’t do this then they need to stand down and quit whining. So far, they have not offered any practical solutions to the greater problems we all face. They have earned no credibility.
For my part, I am done listening to SGB.
I will not read or respond to their selfish nimbyism any more.
I support the goals of the OPS project to help Ontarians deal with our energy issues.
David MacDougall, Meaford
