CAFES and Environmental Defence Canada are asking Ottawa municipal election candidates (Mayoral and Ward) to sign the Renewables-Ready Pledge, which is a commitment to give Ottawa clear, transparent rules for hosting responsible wind, solar and battery storage projects, and to say no to new gas-fired power generation in the city. The full text of the pledge can be found here on the CAFES website. We are happy to report that 17 candidates, including the Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, Shawn Menard, and three other incumbent councillors have already signed the pledge!
Why is this pledge necessary?
- Ontario currently spends $1.75 billion annually importing natural gas and 75% comes from US Appalachian basin fracked gas.
- Local renewables keep that money and those jobs right here in our community.
- Local solar and batteries can be a much cheaper alternative to building gas plants or new transmission lines.
- Local energy sources help neighbourhoods stay powered and resilient during broader outages, which will become more frequent as electricity demand grows and climate-related disruptions such as extreme heat and severe storms impact us in Ottawa.
Find out more about the benefits of local renewable energy through the Thumbs Up Project.
Please share this post and the pledge with the candidates running for election in your ward. Ask them to review and sign.
And this October, let us elect leaders who are committed to lead Ottawa into the clean economy of the future.
