Sharing with you things that are on my mind...Maybe yours too. Come back to Wrights Lane for a visit anytime! And, by all means, let's hear from you by leaving a comment at the end of any post. THE MOTIVATION: I firmly believe that if I have felt, experienced or questioned something in life, then surely others must have too. That's what this blog is all about -- hopefully relating in some meaningful way -- sharing, if you will, on subjects of an inspirational and human interest nature. Nostalgia will frequently find its way into some of the items...And lots of food for thought. A work in progress, to be sure.

28 October, 2015

BRUCE POWER PARTNERS WITH PLUG'N DRIVE FOR CLEAN EMISSIONS

News from my Grey-Bruce neck of the woods does not always make it into the Heartland of Ontario.  Here is an item that should be of clean-energy interest to the entire province.  It could come soon to a town or city near you.

Partnering with Plug’n Drive, the University of Waterloo, local communities and the Asthma Society of Canada, Bruce Power has announced a series of collaborative initiatives to promote clean, electrified transportation in Ontario. These initiatives build on the foundation of Ontario’s low-emissions electricity system, which support achieving long-term climate change targets in the province.
Bruce Power's electrical car.

"While we continue to focus on playing an important role providing Ontario with emissions-free power, we also believe we need to do our part to support innovation and build on a modern, clean electricity system to help reduce emissions," said Duncan Hawthorne, Bruce Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer.  "We believe supporting these initiatives, in collaboration with a number of key partners, will produce positive and tangible results." 

The phase out of coal-fired electricity in Ontario has significantly reduced emissions from the electricity sector, making it the single largest climate change initiative in North America, and Bruce Power’s increased output provided 70 per cent of the replacement energy needed to support this.  While the progress to date is significant, there is an opportunity to do even more by linking the province’s clean energy sector to help reduce emissions from transportation, which is the largest greenhouse gas contributor in Ontario.

"Ontario is committed to being a leader in the fight against climate change and one of the areas essential to achieving this is by supporting clean, electrified transportation in Ontario from an emissions-free electricity system," said Hon. Glen Murray, Ontario’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. "These initiatives by Bruce Power, Plug’n Drive and others are the kind of partnerships that are essential to make this vision a reality."
Cara Clairman, President and CEO of Plug’n Drive, hosted the first ever Electric Vehicle Day at Queen’s Park today, October 26.  "Plug'n Drive is proud to be the champion for the electrification of transportation bridging, together industry, government, academia and consumer interests," Clairman said. "Today's Electric Vehicle Day will showcase the environmental and economic benefit of driving electric in Ontario."

Key initiatives announced today by Bruce Power, in conjunction with Plug’n Drive’s Queen’s Park EV Day, include: 

  • The release of a free iPhone App in partnership with Plug’n Drive, built from Bruce Power’s existing platform, that will have a number of interactive features for people who want to switch to electric vehicles. These include interactive maps of charging stations, and information on grants and vehicles available, along with a unique calculator where people can determine the economic and environmental benefits of going electric. The free App is available for download at the App Store.
 
  • Bruce Power and Plug’n Drive are supporting the installation of electric car charging stations partnering with communities around the Bruce site. Two dual wand charging stations have been installed at Bruce Power’s Visitors' Centre, while additional stations have been installed in Port Elgin, Southampton, and Wroxeter. Further stations are planned for Kincardine, Sauble Beach and Owen Sound.
 
  • Bruce Power, Plug’n Drive, the University of Waterloo and the Asthma Society of Canada will commence a joint study to examine the economic and environmental opportunities associated with clean, electrified transportation in Ontario by leveraging the province's clean electricity supply mix. This report will build on the expertise from all organizations and will be released in 2016.

As of 2012, only nine per cent of Ontario’s emissions come from the electricity sector, an advancement enabled by the phase out of coal-fired generation. The largest contributor to emissions in Ontario is the transportation sector, which accounts for 34 per cent of all emissions. The Ontario government has set a goal to reduce emissions from 1990 levels by 15 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. On an annual basis, the Bruce Power site avoids 31 million tonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent of taking six million cars off the road. 

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