Hudak vows to scrap Green Energy Act deals

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak announced Tuesday he would abolish the “odious” $7-billion deal with South Korean industrial giant Samsung Group, as well as generous, long-term contracts for wind, solar and other renewable Green Energy Act projects, if he wins the provincial election in October.

Members of the Alliance to Protect Prince Edward County, a member of Wind Concerns Ontario, are pleased to hear news.

“Wind Concerns Ontario believes today’s announcement is a positive step for those who oppose irresponsible industrial wind development,” said WCO president John Laforet.  “This announcement gives voters a clear choice in the fall – four more years of spiking energy bills to subsidize big, unwanted wind development or an end to the financially crippling feed-in-tariff program and these massive industrial wind developments.”

“Without high government subsidies,” said APPEC president Gord Gibbins, “companies like Gilead Power and WPD Canada would not be developing wind projects in the County.  APPEC also hopes that the Conservatives will look beyond economics and consider the environmental and health issues.”

APPEC and Wind Concerns Ontario are calling on all political parties to support a moratorium on all industrial wind development, fund an independent third-party epidemiological health study and environmental impact studies, restore local democracy to decision making, end the feed-in-tariff program for industrial wind energy, and take action against the irresponsibly approved industrial wind turbines that are harming the health and well-being of Ontario families and communities.

“Besides the Ministry of Energy, fundamental change has to occur at the Ministry of Environment, which has badly skewed its mandate in favour of economic development,” said Gibbins. “No project should be proceeding when the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Environmental Review Tribunal have yet to decide in the Ian Hanna case and the Chatham-Kent appeal.  Why is the MOE not putting first the environmental and health interests of Ontario citizens?”

Wind Concerns Ontario will be kicking off the ‘Truth about Turbines Tour’ May 15th in Thunder Bay, which will travel 6,000 kilometres over forty-four days with visits to thirty-six communities in 16 Liberal held ridings, eight ridings held by the Progressive Conservative and one NDP riding to raise awareness about opposition to industrial wind turbines and to organize communities to take direct political action in this fall’s election.