January 8 marked the last day of operation of the Nanticoke Generating Station, the last operating coal-fired electrical generating facility in southern Ontario. This latest shut down will help mark 2014 as the year Ontario will become a coal-free jurisdiction.
Nanticoke was once the worst air polluter in Canada, and closing it is one of Canada’s biggest steps ever towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Here is the government press release about the shutdown.
News Release
A New Era of Cleaner Air for Ontario
January 8, 2014
Nanticoke Generating Station Burns Last Coal
What was once the province’s largest coal-fired station is now out of service.
The Nanticoke Generating Station was the last operating coal-fired facility in southern Ontario. This latest shut down will help mark 2014 as the year Ontario will become a coal-free jurisdiction.
Closing Ontario’s coal-fired stations will save ratepayers $95 million from reduced maintenance and project costs. A coal-free energy mix will also lead to a significant reduction in harmful emissions, cleaner air and a healthier environment.
Eliminating coal-fired generation and protecting the environment while providing clean, reliable and affordable power is part of the government’s plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate across Ontario.
QUICK FACTS
- The Nanticoke Generating Station has been producing electricity for Ontario since January 1972.
- The station has generated more than 500 billion kilowatt hours of electricity over the duration of operation. That’s enough electricity to power the entire province of Ontario for more than three years.
- The closure of Ontario’s coal plants comes as the province moves toward implementing a smarter electricity grid, increasing efficiencies within the electricity system, introducing strong conservation efforts and committing to cleaner energy sources.
- According to a 2005 independent study, “Cost Benefit Analysis: Replacing Ontario’s Coal-Fired Electricity Generation,” the cost of coal generation was approximately $4.4 billion annually when health, environmental, and financial costs were taken into consideration.
- Replacing coal-fired electricity generation is the single largest climate change initiative being undertaken in North America and when fully eliminated will be equivalent to taking up to seven million cars off the road.