OSPE - The Voice - Spring 2014 - (Page 22)

ADVOCACY IN ACTION OSPE PROVIDES EXPERTISE AT ELLIOT LAKE ROUNDTABLE More and more, the government of Ontario is looking to OSPE to represent the expert voice of engineers on critical issues. In November, OSPE President and Chair Paul Acchione, P.Eng., was invited by the Elliot Lake Commission of Inquiry to participate in a roundtable on "The Role of Professionals and Other Building Consultants." Paul was pleased to see agreement among OSPE, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) with respect to changes to the Building Code, the Professional Engineers Act, the Architects Act, and associated regulations. OSPE supported several PEO recommendations, including a new Structural Engineer Specialist designation and new standards for Structural Adequacy Reports. OSPE also identified legislative gaps with respect to owners' and clients' responsibilities for public safety, which are currently not adequately covered in the Building Code or Professional Engineers Act. OSPE noted that Certificate of Authorization (COA) holders must follow a solid quality assurance (QA) regime so that mistakes, which can be made by even our best engineers, are caught before impacting public safety. OSPE recommended an integrated QA and continuing professional development program for COA holders. The Commission's final recommendations are expected later in 2014. OSPE RESPONDS TO GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO'S LONG-TERM ENERGY PLAN In December, the Government of Ontario released its Long-term Energy Plan (LTEP), the result of several months of consultations with stakeholders, including OSPE. During the summer months, OSPE met with officials from the Ministry of Energy, Ontario Power Authority (OPA) and the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) before submitting three key recommendations: 1. Relieve stress on large-scale energy infrastructure through Community Energy Planning (CEP). 2. Improve flexibility of Ontario's fleet of nuclear units to better integrate renewable energy. 3. Include a voluntary time-of-use price plan that would better incentivize consumers to adopt smart grid technologies and utilize off-peak, under-utilized grid capacity. OSPE was pleased that the LTEP included several programs to support CEP, which would help address demand growth at the source to relieve stress on large energy infrastructure across the province. The LTEP also declared that nuclear power would continue to be the "backbone" of the electricity system, yet there was no indication that unit flexibility, which allows operators to scale back energy production when renewable sources such as wind and solar are in abundance, thereby preventing waste, would be a requirement of the refurbishment process at Bruce and Darlington. Grid operations have improved dramatically since Bruce Power units were modified to provide 2,400 MW of flexible capability. With an election around the corner, OSPE plans to continue advocating with the incoming government for long-term planning, additional flexible nuclear capacity and wider adoption of flexible nuclear power. View OSPE's full LTEP submission at www.ospe.on.ca/advocacy. 2 2 TheVoice Spring 2014 http://www.ospe.on.ca/advocacy

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OSPE - The Voice - Spring 2014

OSPE - The Voice - Spring 2014
Contents
Viewpoint
OSPE is Listening
Newsbytes
Profile: Robert A. Goodings, P.Eng.
National Engineering Month
Engineers Connect at OSPE Events
Advocacy for Our Profession
Issues that Matter
Decades of Advocacy
From Classroom to Career
Talking Transit
PAN Profile
Strength in Numbers
Learning from Elliot Lake
Energy Planning
Across the Pond and Back
Intellectual Property
OSPE Employer Compensation Survey
Deadlier than Drunk Drivers?
Resources within Reach
Professional Development
OSPE Launches Corporate Program

OSPE - The Voice - Spring 2014