No Towers Federation
Organization profile published 1984

Year Published:  1984
Resource Type:  Organization
Cx Number:  CX2911

Abstract: 
No Towers is a federation of small township-based organizations, recently formed to fight against Ontario Hydro's announced plans to build one or two Extra High Voltage (EHV) Transmission lines through Eastern Ontario. The basic concern of the Federation is that no alternatives to building these lines have been seriously considered, and that the true costs of building these lines have been ignored. For example, Hydro sprays toxic defoliants containing 24D and 24DP to keep lines clear. If one landowner permits herbicide use by Hydro, some residue could leach into the water available to all farmers in the area. There is concern also about possible electromagnetic effects on those living near high voltage lines. Other concerns are financial. Ontario residents may be shouldering an unnecessary additional financial burden. They will be subsidizing cheap U.S. rates, because some of the power carried will be sold to the U.S. at rates cheaper than those Ontarians pay.

This organization no longer exists.
This abstract was published in the Connexions Digest in 1984.

The No Towers Federation suggests some viable alternatives to the proposed EHV line:

- upgrading existing hydraulic sites;
- purchasing power from Hydro Quebec;
- industrial co-generation;
- solar technology;
- time-of-day rates; and
- load management.

Although Ontario Hydro contends that it encourages energy conservation, the existing rate structure favors large consumers of electricity (the more used, the less paid per kilowatt hour). Opponents of Ontario Hydro's plans for EHV transmission line construction argue that if conservation were promoted in a realistic way and the rate structure changed, no additional transmission lines would be required.

The No Towers Federation has been active in opposing Hydro's plans both as a federation and through its smaller component groups. Some of the activities have been: the collecting and forwarding of petitions opposing Hydro's plans; the passing of motions in various townships, opposing those plans; small local meetings to inform the public of the proposals; provision of displays at many of the local county fairs; and opposition to Hydro's motion before a government appointed review board.

One of the Federation component groups is the Hydro Consumers Association. This group opposed Hydro's proposals before the government-appointed board, to no avail. The board ruled in Hydro's favor, and allowed Hydro to proceed to Route Planning Stage for their undertaking. However, the board did award the Hydro Consumers Association money to compensate them for some of the costs involved in their work in presenting their case to the board.