PLAYING THE BLAME GAME with the Green Energy Act

Windsor Star
Wed Jul 13 2011
Page: A6
Section: Editorial/Opinion
Source: The Windsor Star

The Liberals and Tories are taking shots at each other after a story last week revealed Siliken Canada will lay off two shifts at its Windsor plant.
Each has accused the other of making inflammatory statements, but in reality, there's enough blame to go around. Both parties have contributed to the problems the company now faces.
There's no question Conservative Leader Tim Hudak jeopardized the long-term viability of the fledgling solar panel operation when he vowed to kill the Green Energy Act if elected premier on Oct. 6.
That threat created a chill throughout the entire industry, and the layoff of 70 workers - most of whom were unemployed before Siliken hired them - reflects that sense of trepidation.
Richard Monk, the company's production manager, called Hudak "Public enemy No. 1," and said "the impression he creates scares away business." It certainly looks that way.
But Monk was just as blunt when talking about the Liberals' inability to cut through red tape. "The real issue is the lack of action by Hydro One. You're at the bottom of the list if you're solar or wind power," he said.
Neither Hydro One nor the Ontario Power Authority have a stake in renewable energy, said Monk, and because of that they're slow to deal with capacity issues.
We believe that's the real crux of the problem, and it must be dealt with quickly. The provincial Liberals have ownership of these delays, which began long before Hudak shook the marketplace with his comments about feed-intariffs and other aspects of the Green Energy Act.
The Liberals are trying to deflect responsibility and justify the long delays because of what MPP Sandra Pupatello calls the "skyrocketing growth that has come too fast for the province's Hydro One and the Ontario Power Authority to keep pace and get solar, wind and other renewable sources on to the grid."
This comes as a big surprise to Essex County, because there was no evidence of these problems when she and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan attended the opening ceremonies at Siliken in May. Indeed, having actively recruited makers of wind and solar energy to locate in Ontario, one could assume a plan had been put in place.
If there are problems getting the grid to function more quickly, it's the government's job to fix it. If - and this is more likely the case - Hydro One and the power authority aren't convinced these are top priorities, the government has to make it clear that they are.
And if Premier Dalton McGuinty believes it is unreasonable for Hydro One to limit renewable energy to just seven per cent of peak-time generation, that should be changed.
"We've got the product, we've got the technology and we've got the customers," Monk told The Star. "But until things change with the government and the politics we have no other recourse but to lay people off."
Mayor Eddie Francis, dismissing the claim that the problems were caused by Hudak rather than restricted grid access, sent this message to those in charge of Ontario's power production: "Get your act in gear."
We agree. As the battle continues, it's worth noting the Conservatives backpedalled last week and said they wouldn't kill existing green energy agreements if elected. That should make companies like Siliken breathe easier - if they don't fall prey to bureaucratic red tape first.