Controversy dogs proposed power plant

Plans to build a natural gas-fired power plant in Mississauga are generating plenty of controversy.
The Globe and Mail is reporting that sources said the Ontario government is considering awarding the contract to Sithe Global Power LLC to build a gas plant in Mississauga capable of producing 800 megawatts. Sithe has already spent about $20 million to prepare a site in the south end of the city.
Sithe already owns and operates power plants in North America, Europe and the Middle East and is in the process of building an 875-megawatt natural gas plant in Brampton.
Sources told The Globe and Mail that former Energy Minister Gerry Phillips had expressed concerns about the government's plan to reportedly skip the bidding process and award the contract to one company.
The sources said Phillips mentioned that without multiple bids, the government might not get the best deal for consumers.
Sources told the newspaper that Phillips made the government aware of his feelings before stepping down as energy minister last month.
Ontario Power Generation also wants to build a natural gas plant in the city and has suggested southeast Mississauga, where it previously operated Lakeview Generating Station.
Mississauga City Council has said it would prefer to redevelop the 200-hectare site into a waterfront community and doesn't want a power plant there.
"That's like trying to hide an elephant in a room under a blanket," Ward 6  councillor Carolyn Parrish told The Globe and Mail. "We don't want a gas plant there."
Energy and Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman is expected to meet with officials to discuss the plan.
cclay@mississauga.net