Green Roofs with Balloons

My councilor, Paula Fletcher (Toronto Danforth) has been inundating me with emails about the evil natural gas generator Dalton MacGinty wants to build at the foot of Leslie Street, where the old Hearn generating station stands. While I am somewhat sympathetic to her fears - CO2 pollution, unsightly big boxy building on the waterfront, high cost etc. I have to say it will be preferably to the 4 sisters at the edge of Mississauga, where I swear they burn cheap brown coal at night. Their (that is the anti-generator coterie) suggestions for an alternate - green roofs, more use of lake water for cooling buildings, conservation through replacing old inefficient equipment, wind, etc makes sense, I am forced to ask "Why not do both?"
If we can save the equivalent of 750 MW through their conservation measures, why not build the ugly generator and save energy? Not enough money you say? But if the energy savings are real (hey, my refrigerator is at least 25 years old - its Almond coloured - Mr. Landlord?) they should payback almost immediately by reducing our COST OF ELECTRICITY. Oops, does that mean the gas fired generator is no longer cost effective?
There are alternates to the ol' lets give money to Alberta solution, and aside from my hobbyhorse, the SLOWPOKE 3 (2 to 10 MW - build one every 20 blocks, eliminate powerline losses) there are some really interesting schemes. My current favourite is from Magenn Power and I can see these flying from green roofs all over Toronto, or even better, flying in a line from the Toronto Portlands and the west end of the island. That'd take care of jets at the island airport!