The results of Ontario’s latest energy auction – where solar and wind won every contract – should speak for themselves. 

Wind and solar costs have plummeted in the last 15 years, making them irresistibly affordable, even to a government that once had concerns. The natural next question is: how will this new reality of extremely low-cost renewables influence the government’s strategy for meeting Ontarians’ energy needs over the next decade and beyond?

When it launched its latest call for bids from developers for new electricity generation, the provincial government said cost would be the deciding factor. That wind and solar beat other proposals — including natural gas — to every contract is another signal that the global shift towards clean energy is being driven by affordability above all else. Today, renewables are simply the cheapest source of electricity available.

This is fortuitous, because the Independent Electricity System Operator projects as much as 92 per cent more electricity will be needed by 2050 to feed Ontario’s energy-hungry economy. These projects will meet just a fraction of that........

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