Toronto: A cleaner energy system is the way to go, but consumers will need to get used to paying more for their power, a group of experts told the members of the Empire Club of Canada on May 22. Given that most of the audience seemed to accept the advice, others may well wonder if the event is an indication that Canadian public opinion is shifting from its traditional position in which green initiatives are attractive, but only so long as they don’t hit the pocketbook too hard.
As part of its monthly series of panel discussions on current issues of public concern, the Empire Club of Canada presented John Thomson, CEO of Yield Energy, Tom Heintzman, President of Bullfrog Power Inc. and Kerry Adler, CEO of SkyPower Corp. The event was moderated by Tyler Hamilton, Senior Energy Reporter and Columnist for the Toronto Star. The session was titled “Alternative Energy: How much, How soon?”
John Thomson pointed to a major challenge ahead for government and industry in helping the public adjust to higher energy prices. “A lot of education needs to go on. There’s a fundamental need for change. Society needs to accept that energy can’t be had at a bare bones price any more,” he said.
Tom Heintzman observed that “We’ve been artificially subsidizing electricity for 50 years,” and suggested that a wide range of public benefits would flow from removing the subsidies and using the funds for other purposes.
Kerry Adler stressed that positive change is already underway. “Governments are being proactive now,” he said. However, he acknowledged that current pricing is generally unrealistic, saying that “the only way people conserve is when they feel it in their wallet.”
Heintzman noted that “Many arcane rules artificially suppress the price of power,” echoing comments made by some members of APPrO, and in the pages of this publication.
The consensus among the group seemed to be the following: Clean power is more expensive, but worth it. It remains to be seen how soon the same message will be heard in other forums.
Further discussion was wide-ranging and the speakers seemed to converge near the end of the talk on a general agreement that it’s important not to look exclusively at the cost of the input (i.e., energy bills) but instead at the longer term benefits of energy development going in a more environmentally responsible direction.
The speakers were also enthusiastic about the potential for the smart grid. “It will be an enormous opportunity going forward, potentially revolutionary,” one said. Thomson noted that it will be important to get consumers engaged in the smart grid. “The smart grid can enable behavioral signals to operate more efficiently,” he said.
The challenges are formidable, but important to address, the group suggested. “Future generations are counting on us,” Mr. Adler concluded.
The Empire Club of Canada, established in 1903, is recognized as one of Canada's oldest and largest speakers' forums. Over its history it has been addressed by more than 2500 prominent Canadian and international leaders. More information about the Empire Club of Canada and a webcast of the May 22 panel discussion on energy is available on the organization’s website at www.empireclub.org.