Auditor General's review of renewable energy is flawed, misleading and based on discredited studies

Yesterday, this news release crossed the Canadian Newswire.

ONTARIO HIGHLANDS FRIENDS OF WIND POWER

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUDITOR GENERAL’S REVIEW OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IS

FLAWED, MISLEADING AND BASED ON DISCREDITED STUDIES

Grey Highlands, ON, March 7, 2012 – Ontario Highlands Friends of Wind Power released a report today,

A Critique of the Auditor General’s Report on Renewable Energy Policies. (http://www.windisgood.ca/

newsrelease.html.

The report concludes that the Auditor General’s value-for-money audit of Ontario’s renewable energy

initiatives (http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en11/303en11.pdf) is flawed and misleading.

Author Malcolm Hamilton, an electrical engineer, former senior management consultant and retired wind

developer, said the Auditor General’s flawed audit is the result of “shoddy work.”

“I was astonished when I read the Auditor General’s report. I expected a balanced, helpful analysis that

would correct some of the myths and misinformation about wind generation and shed a spotlight on

Ontario’s options for renewables, going forward,” Hamilton said. “That is not what we got.”

Mr. Hamilton found that the Auditor General and his team:

• exaggerated the problems and costs of integrating wind generation into Ontario’s electricity

system;

• misrepresented the relative cost of wind power generation and its impact on the cost of electricity;

• ignored the overwhelming scientific evidence that properly sited wind turbines have no adverse

impact on human health, and in the process, dismissed the considered opinions of Ontario’s Chief

Medical Officer of Heath on this issue. Finally they

• relied on out-dated, discredited, biased reports to assess the government’s green energy job

creation projections and health impacts.

People rely on the accuracy of Auditor General’s reports. They will repeat his errors. Mr. Hamilton

recommends that the Auditor General order a third party review of his audit immediately to correct the

flaws in his report.

Hamilton said, “The Auditor General must have known that his report would become part of the significant

but ill-informed public dialogue on renewable energy. It is unusual for him and his office to become

involved in political issues. For this reason, I believe the Auditor General needs to correct the public record

and, this time, get it right.”

“Ontario’s electricity system badly needs upgrading,” he said. “Deciding how we get our power in the future

must be based on solid fact, not conjecture, or opinion. It is simply too important to get wrong.”

Public opinion polls have shown the majority of Ontarians support wind energy for its environmental,

economic and social benefits. A debate based on facts is important to ensure we all understand the

contribution wind is making as Ontario builds a stronger and cleaner electricity system. An accurate report

from the Auditor General is fundamental to this conversation.

Ontario Highlands Friends of Wind Power is a network of people, organizations, and businesses

interested in wind development who want to share information about wind power generation and about

projects and plans for wind generation in their communities.

Visit our blog at http://ohfowp.blogspot.com/