The Canadian province of Ontario may have already passed its point of peak coal use, and is now on the downward moving side as it increases its use of renewable energy production. Last week, the provincial government announced that it had permanently closed four more coal-burning power plants in the province.
Electrical generation from coal peaked in 2003, and atmospheric pollution levels are down significantly since that point. According to the Green Energy Act Alliance, citing government figures, sulfur dioxide from power generation sources is down 81 percent, nitrogen oxides are down 77 percent, and carbon dioxide emissions are down 71 percent since the peak in 2003. Coal generation of electricity in Ontario is at its lowest level in nearly half a century. In the same period, more than 8000 megawatts of renewable production have been added to the province's power supply.
All of Ontario's coal power production is targeted to be eliminated by 2014, and greehouse gasses in 2011 are targeted to be two-thirds lower than they were in 2003.
image: CC 2.0 by Kyle MacKenzie
via: NA Windpower
