Bruce Power supports clean, electrified transportation as Ontario pursues climate change targets

Partnering with Plug'n Drive, the  University of Waterloo, local communities and the Asthma Society of  Canada, Bruce Power announced a series of collaborative initiatives to  promote clean, electrified transportation in Ontario. These initiatives  build on the foundation of Ontario's low-emissions electricity system,  which support achieving long-term climate change targets in the  province.

"While we continue to focus on playing an important role providing  Ontario with emissions-free power, we also believe we need to do our  part to support innovation and build on a modern, clean electricity  system to help reduce emissions," said Duncan Hawthorne, Bruce Power's  President and Chief Executive Officer. "We believe supporting these  initiatives, in collaboration with a number of key partners, will  produce positive and tangible results."

The phase out of coal-fired electricity in Ontario has significantly  reduced emissions from the electricity sector, making it the single  largest climate change initiative in North America, and Bruce Power's  increased output provided 70 per cent of the replacement energy needed  to support this. While the progress to date is significant, there is an  opportunity to do even more by linking the province's clean energy  sector to help reduce emissions from transportation, which is the  largest greenhouse gas contributor in Ontario.

"Ontario is committed to being a leader in the fight against climate  change and one of the areas essential to achieving this is by  supporting clean, electrified transportation in Ontario from an  emissions-free electricity system," said Hon. Glen Murray, Ontario's  Minister of Environment and Climate Change. "These initiatives by Bruce  Power, Plug'n Drive and others are the kind of partnerships that are  essential to make this vision a reality."

Cara Clairman, President and CEO of Plug'n Drive, said her organization  is hosting the first ever Electric Vehicle Day at Queen's Park on October 26.

"Plug'n Drive is proud to be the champion for the electrification of  transportation bridging, together industry, government, academia and  consumer interests," Clairman said. "Today's (10/26) Electric Vehicle Day will  showcase the environmental and economic benefit of driving electric in  Ontario."

Key initiatives announced by Bruce Power, in conjunction with  Plug'n Drive's Queen's Park EV Day, include:

• The release of a free iPhone App in partnership with Plug'n Drive, built from Bruce Power's existing platform, that will  have a number of interactive features for people who want to switch to electric vehicles. These include interactive maps of charging stations, and information on grants and vehicles available, along with a unique calculator where people can determine the economic and environmental benefits of going electric. The free App is available for download at the App Store on Nov. 2.
• Bruce Power and Plug'n Drive are supporting the installation of electric car charging stations partnering with communities around the Bruce site. Two dual wand charging stations have been installed at Bruce Power's Visitors' Centre, while additional stations have been installed in Port Elgin, Southampton, and Wroxeter. Further stations are planned for Kincardine, Sauble Beach and Owen Sound.
• Bruce Power, Plug'n Drive, the University of Waterloo and the Asthma Society of Canada will commence a joint study to examine the economic and environmental opportunities associated with clean, electrified transportation in Ontario by leveraging the province's clean electricity supply mix. This report will build on the expertise from all organizations and will be released in 2016.

As of 2012, only nine per cent of Ontario's emissions come from the  electricity sector, an advancement enabled by the phase out of  coal-fired generation. The largest contributor to emissions in Ontario  is the transportation sector, which accounts for 34 per cent of all  emissions. The Ontario government has set a goal to reduce emissions  from 1990 levels by 15 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. On an  annual basis, the Bruce Power site avoids 31 million tonnes of CO(2), which is the equivalent of taking six million cars off the road.

About Bruce Power

Bruce Power operates the world's largest operating nuclear generating  facility and is the source of roughly 30 per cent of Ontario's  electricity. The company's site in Tiverton, ON, is home to eight CANDU  reactors, each one capable of generating enough low-cost, reliable,  safe and clean electricity to meet the annual needs of a city the size  of Hamilton. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an all-Canadian partnership  among Borealis Infrastructure Management (a division of the Ontario  Municipal Employees Retirement System), TransCanada, the Power Workers' Union and the Society of Energy Professionals. A majority of Bruce  Power's employees are also owners in the business.