The government of Ontario has committed the province to a $100 billion nuclear construction and reconstruction program. Is this the only path to decarbonization for Ontario? What has current research and modelling told us about the province's options?
The SEI at EUC Presents: Bill 23, Planning Reform and the Future of the GTA and Hamilton Region
May 1, 2023
EUC Professor Mark Winfield talks about the province's fall 2023 housing legislation and related initiatives, and its impact on the future of the GTHA region. Professor Winfield was involved in the development of the Greenbelt and Growth Plans for region, including serving on the ministerial advisory committee on the implementation of the Places to Grow plan. This presentation was originally made to the York University Retirees Association (YURA).
Ontario fumbling electricity policy once again
December 23, 2022
Markham interviews Mark Winfield, professor of environmental studies at York University, about the Simultaneous release of three reports last week about Ontario’s electricity system for the future: IESO’s Annual Planning Outlook, Conservation and Demand Management Framework Mid-Term Review, Pathways to Decarbonization
Dr. Mark Winfield discusses hydrogen, carbon and sustainable energy
October 29, 2022
"In this episode I am interviewing someone deeply involved with advising Canadian institutions on the energy policy, especially sustainable energy transitions. As this has also been a focus of the podcast, I’m looking forward to discussing the best approaches for the country.
Mark Winfield is a Professor of Environmental and Urban Change at York University. He is also Co-Chair of the Faculty's Sustainable Energy Initiative, and Coordinator of the Joint Master of Environmental Studies/Juris Doctor program offered in conjunction with Osgoode Hall Law School. He has published articles, book chapters and reports on a wide range of climate change, environment and energy law and policy topics. Professor Winfield has acted as an advisor to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario and federal Commissioner for Environment and Development. From 2017-2020 he served as a member of the Conseil d'administration (board of directors) of Transitions energetique Quebec, a Crown corporation established to implement a low-carbon energy transition strategy for Quebec. He is currently co-editing a volume on Sustainable Energy Transitions for Canada: Opportunities and Challenges for UBC Press."
Ottawa's decision to not do environmental assessment of NB nuclear plant raises questions
February 14, 2023
Markham interviews Mark Winfield, professor of environmental studies at York University, about his recent op-ed, “Federal gifts for the nuclear and mining industries” in Policy Options magazine.
Doug Ford making all the wrong moves with Ontario's electricity sector
November 9, 2022
Markham interviews Mark Winfield, professor of environmental studies at York University.
Extending Pickering nuclear plant dangerous, costly
October 4, 2022
Markham interviews Mark Winfield, professor of environmental studies, York University, about Ontario's decision to extend the life of the Darlington Nuclear Plant and to ask Ontario Power Generation to consider refurbishing the 1970s-era facility for another 30 years.
Trudeau's emissions reduction plan lacks power
March 29, 2022
Markham interviews Mark Winfield, professor of environmental studies, York University about the Canadian government's new emissions reduction plan, released March 29.
How the war in Ukraine will shape Canada’s energy policy
March 11, 2022
Markham interviews Mark Winfield, Professor of Environmental Studies, York University, about his op-ed, “How the war in Ukraine will shape Canada’s energy policy — and climate change” on The Conversation website.
Can Ontario ditch natural gas to generate electricity? No, says IESO, but it's complicated
JCCTRP Webinar: Comparing Low-Carbon Urban Transport Policy in Montreal, Toronto and Los Angeles Preliminary Findings
July 2021
- Mark Purdon, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
- Mark Winfield, York University
In this webinar, we investigate the politics of technical capacity for climate change policy by reporting on the role of techno-economic modeling in efforts to decarbonize the transportation systems of major metropolitan areas in North America. It draws on over thirty key informant interviews with transport policy and modeling experts in Montreal, Toronto and Los Angeles over 2020-2021. While in different countries with different political conditions, Canada and California have pursued cooperation in various areas of climate policy, including in the transportation sector. Municipal governments in all three metropolitan areas have also made significant commitments to the decarbonization of their transportation systems. Such comparison allows us to evaluate the relative impact of different technical capacities and institutional requirements for decarbonizing transportation systems.
California in particular is recognized as a global climate leader, possessing high levels of technical and institutional capacity for climate policy. But concerns have been raised about the extent to which its technical and institutional capacity can be replicated in other jurisdictions. There are also concerns about the effectiveness of California’s unique approach to the decarbonization of the metropolitan regional transportation systems. Under the Sustainable Communities Act (SCA), metropolitan regions in California must adopt “regional climate plan targets” that require reductions in greenhouse gas emission per vehicle miles traveled. The SCA also requires sophisticated transportation modeling exercises to demonstrate conformity with these targets. This builds on set of US federal-municipal institutions, regulatory requirements and financial incentives for reducing regional atmospheric pollution constructed around Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs).
About the JCCTRP: This webinar is part of a series by the Joint Clean Climate Transport Research Partnership (JCCTRP). The JCCTRP is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research partnership focusing on issues related to transport and climate policy in Quebec, California, Ontario and Vermont, with an emphasis on transport and energy system modeling. The ultimate goal of the JCCTRP is to identify technical, economic and political factors shaping the potential for environmentally effective, economically efficient, and politically viable low-carbon transport and climate mitigation policy. The JCCTRP Secretariat is located at the École des sciences de la gestion at the Université du Québec à Montréal (ESG-UQÀM) and the partnership is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and other organizations. For more information visit our website at www.jccctrp.org.
Mark Winfield directs a York program in sustainable energy. We talk about it and affordable alternatives (i.e. not nuclear), and the politics of adopting it in time.
July 26, 2021
Markham interviews Prof. Mark Winfield of York University about the Ontario independent system operator's recently announced review of the role of natural gas plants in the provincial electricity system.
Energi Talks - Episode 23 - Ontario's broken electricity system
March 16, 2021
Markham interviews Prof. Mark Winfield, an expert in sustainable energy and environmental policy, about the crisis in Ontario's electricity, including the absence of provincial government climate and energy policy.
Journalist Markham Hislop interviews leading energy experts from around the world about the energy transition and climate change.
Public Seminar: Advancing Climate and Transportation Policy Research in Canada and in the US
This public seminar was held at UQAM in Montreal on September 19, 2022 as part of a symposium of the Joint Clean Climate Transport Research Partnership (JCCTRP). Speakers include Jonathan Rubin (UMaine), Lewis Fulton (UC Davis), James Bradbury (Georgetown Climate Center), as well as Mark Winfield (York University). Mark Purdon, holder of the Chair in Decarbonization at UQAM, moderated the discussion / Ce séminaire public s'est tenu à l'UQAM à Montréal le 19 septembre 2022 dans le cadre d'un symposium du Partenariat de recherche sur climat et les transports (JCCTRP). Les conférenciers incluent Jonathan Rubin (UMaine), Lewis Fulton (UC Davis), James Bradbury (Georgetown Climate Center), ainsi que Mark Winfield (York University). Mark Purdon, titulaire de la Chaire de décarbonisation de l'UQAM, a animé la discussion.
Extending Pickering nuclear plant dangerous, costly
Markham interviews Mark Winfield, professor of environmental studies, York University, about Ontario's decision to extend the life of the Darlington Nuclear Plant and to ask Ontario Power Generation to consider refurbishing the 1970s-era facility for another 30 years.
YorkU's EUC and SEI present 'Corporate Rules and Big Energy'
On May 11, 2022, York University's Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change and the Sustainable Energy Initiative presented 'Corporate Rules and Big Energy', a launch event for EUC Adjunct Professor Bruce Campbell’s new book 'Corporate Rules: The Real World of Business Regulation in Canada' (James Lorimer & Co 2022).
The panel of contributing authors discussed environmental, health and safety regulation of Big Energy in Canada, looking at the cases of federal Climate Change and Energy Policy, the Alberta Oil Industry and the Tar Sands, and Nuclear Energy. SEI Co-Chair and contributing author (Institutionalizing Regulatory Capture as Regulatory Practice) Professor Mark Winfield moderated.
Nuclear Energy Panel Discussion
With the climate crisis as pressing and prevalent as it is today, the debate on nuclear energy finds itself in the spotlight more so than ever before. With the recent COP26 calling for the accelerated phase-out of coal and reaching net zero by the middle of the century, many question whether this would be achievable without nuclear power. In fact, nuclear and wind provided 76% of the energy in Glasgow during the conference. And yet, there are still many who are opposed to nuclear power, let alone the emphasis on nuclear in a bid to replace fossil fuels. Those in opposition, many of whom can attest to lived experiences, reference threats to people, the environment, and the overall safety of the use of nuclear energy.
Can Ontario ditch natural gas to generate electricity? No, says IESO, but it's complicated
Markham interviews Prof. Mark Winfield, professor of environmental studies, York University, about the new study from Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator, “Decarbonization and Ontario’s Electricity System Assessing the impacts of phasing out natural gas generation by 2030.”
Liberals made big climate promises during the election campaign, but can they deliver?
Markham interviews Prof. Mark Winfield, York University, about his oped, "Canada’s federal election made big strides for climate and the environment."
Huge increase forecast to Ontario GHGs from power generation
Markham interviews Prof. Winfield of York University.
Ontario launches review of gas-fired power as nuclear plants prepare to go offline
Markham interviews Prof. Mark Winfield of York University about the Ontario independent system operator's recently announced review of the role of natural gas plants in the provincial electricity system.
Ford government inexplicably repealing Ontario policy prioritizing renewable energy
Why do Ontario cities (including Toronto) want to stop using natural gas for generating electricity?
March 16, 2021
Journalist Markham Hislop interviews leading energy experts from around the world about the energy transition and climate change.
Markham interviews Prof. Mark Winfield, an expert in sustainable energy and environmental policy, about last week's motion from Toronto City Council to call for the end to using natural gas, which makes up only 3% of Ontario power generation.
