The Ontario Energy Ministry closure of the last coal-fired plant in the southern region of the province will represent full abandonment of coal-fired electricity a year ahead of schedule.

The province has reduced its use of coal by 90% since 2003, when coal accounted for 25% of total generation.

As of 2011, coal-fired generation made up less than 3% of Ontario’s electricity.

Health and environmental initiatives have already closed 11 of the province’s coal stations and are believed to save $4.4 billion annually, mostly in medical costs.

“We’re leading the way by providing families in Ontario with cleaner air to breathe so they can lead healthier lives, now and for generations to come,” Minster of Energy Chris Bentley said.

In 2011, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions were 93% and 83% lower respectively than they were in 2013. In 2001, Ontario’s coal plants emitted just 43kg of mercury, which was the lowest on record for 45 years.

The Canadian federal government is offering leniency and province-by-province exceptions as it enforces its newly enacted coal-fired emissions standards.

Upgrade timelines and closure deadlines have been open to extension as rules limiting emissions to less than 375 tonnes of carbon dioxide per gigawatt hour come into force.

Efforts to expand the flexibility of the new standards followed grievances from the country’s three most coal-dependent provinces, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. Ontario, however, has been a frontrunner in dismantling its coal sector.

“When we came to government in 2003, we decided to stop burning coal and to protect more green space to help clean our air,” Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said.

“Thanks to the conservation efforts of Ontarians, we were able to do just that, and today, all Ontarians can breathe a little easier.”