Goldcorp and 21 First Nations have come to a landmark agreement that could bring hydro electricity to Ontario’s Far North.
While the billion-dollar project must still get approval from the province – and there is at least one other bid being considered – it’s good news for everyone.
According to Goldcorp, the province’s 25 fly-in First?Nation communities burn about $68 million in diesel fuel annually.
First and foremost, diesel is not an environmentally friendly way to generate power, a potential disaster waiting to happen should tanks rupture and spill the noxious fuel in a tiny community.
Second, fossil fuels aren’t getting any less expensive.
On Jan. 5, 2010, acording to National Resources Canada, a litre of diesel fuel cost 97.3 cents.
Their latest nationwide average shows a cost of $1.30.9 per litre, a 34.5 per cent increase.
While hydro costs have risen over the same period, it certainly isn’t anywhere near the same rate.
Scientists say fossil fuels will run out at some point. Energy needs are not going away in Ontario’s North. This project could help rejuvenate many of these communities, the first step on a road to self-sustainability. That’s win-win for everyone.
