Toronto city council voted against more gas-plant production. The province is making it happen anyway

Toronto City Council passed a motion opposing any new natural-gas generation in the city only days before last week’s provincial announcement. (In addition to the Port Lands, two other GTA gas plants — in Brampton and Halton Hills — will also see capacity upgrades.) Projections by IESO show an increased reliance on gas plants in the coming years, as nuclear plants are taken out of service for refurbishment or retirement. This year, gas plants are expected to operate 24 per cent of the time. “There’s a deepening commitment to ramping up natural gas generation, taking us in the wrong direction,” he said.