The high costs of cheap power

When we flick on the light switch or run our appliances, most of us do not think of where our electricity comes from. Many Canadians think our electricity simply comes from hydroelectric generation. As such, we do not associate it with the images of smoke stacks and billowing plumes that we see south of our border or elsewhere in the world where coal-fired electricity gets more attention. The reality is that the combination of electricity sources -- and therefore the qualities and characteristics of the electricity system -- depend on where we live in the country. Some provinces live up to the common conception of predominantly hydroelectric power, but six provinces still burn coal to generate electricity and three of these -- Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia -- rely more on coal than any other source of electricity combined. Provinces that are heavily coal-power-reliant experience a range of social and environmental costs from its combustion. By direct comparison -- kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour -- coal power is the dirtiest major source of power in Canada. It is also the highest contributor to greenhouse gases (GHGs). These emissions come with serious environmental and health costs -- costs that clearly undermine the view that coal power is "cheap." However, provincial leadership, particularly in Ontario, is proving that historical reliance on coal power can be traded in for cleaner, more reliable and more cost-effective alternative sources of electricity.