September 22, 2011
Ontario

Turbine talk tops candidates’ energy debate

countylive.ca 21 September 2011

Five provincial election candidates shared personal and party views on everything energy – but centred mostly on industrial wind turbines – at last night’s debate at Picton United Church.

Moderator Richard Johnston told about 200 in attendance to respect the place they were in and that he would not tolerate abusive comments from the audience.

All candidates received applause over the course of the evening. Liberal MPP Leona Dombrowsky was subject to one session of booing when she said “municipalities and residents have a say in where turbines are erected” and was victim to some heckling as she explained the party line on the Green Energy Act.

“We must hand down to our children an energy system that is sustainable, that is affordable and one that has the least impact on our environment and their future,” she said.

Green Party candidate Treat Hull garnered the most applause for informative, detailed responses. He also received a vote recommendation from Trueman Tuck, running for the People First Republic Party.

Thunderous applause followed Tuck’s comment that no Crown land in Prince Edward County should have industrial wind turbines.

PC candidate Todd Smith and Treat Hull were applauded for vowing to return power to the municipality.

“We are fully committed to having a moratorium on any industrial wind turbine development until after a health study is completed,” Smith said.

“No further development of industrial energy until zoning responsibility is returned to our community,” said Hull.

NDP candidate Sherry Hayes said “We need a government that will build community, not tear it apart.

She was applauded when she said the NDP sees huge waste and duplication in having several electricity generating bodies “so we would move forward with creating one body for overseeing electricity which would save several million dollars just in CEO salaries each year”.

Hull noted concern that Ontario is “having to dump hydro electricity… we’re having to shut down at least some nuclear plants… you’ve already paid for it but we can’t use it because we have a surplus of energy.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/22/turbine-talk-tops-candidates-energy-debate/