Premier Kathleen Wynne’s new plan to outlaw the burning of coal has Al Gore fired up about Ontario’s leadership on curbing climate change.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning former U.S. vice-president hailed Wynne Thursday after she announced legislation to ensure that once the last coal-fired plant closes next year it would be illegal to generate electricity by burning coal.

“Premier Kathleen Wynne, congratulations on your vision and leadership. Thank you for the steps that you have taken and have announced today,” Gore told hundreds of people in a packed atrium at MaRS on College St.

“Ontario has become the first regional jurisdiction in all of North America to take these steps on the burning of coal. Congratulations, Ontario, and thank you, Ontario,” he thundered.

“You’re doing a fantastic job and we appreciate it.”

Gore, whose Academy Award-winning 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, brought home the threat of climate change by painting a dire picture for the planet unless carbon emissions are drastically reduced.

He pointed to the recent deadly typhoon in the Philippines and last year’s Hurricane Sandy in the U.S. as evidence of the devastating “super storms” that will become more common unless global warming is addressed.

“There will be a day of reckoning,” warned Gore, who lost the controversial 2000 U.S. presidential election to George W. Bush despite winning the popular vote.

“We can solve this but we need to get busy and follow Ontario’s lead,” he said, adding future generations will ask how we found the “moral courage” to reduce pollution.

“Part of the answer will be Ontario, Canada, led the way.”

Wynne, who appeared almost rapturously delighted during Gore’s 25-minute speech, said the Ending Coal for Cleaner Air Act, which will be tabled on Monday in the legislature, is “a significant milestone.”

“We’re saying that we don’t want to go back. A future government would have to change the legislation and we believe that this puts a very clear line in the sand,” the premier said.

“Yes, there’s a symbolic aspect to it, there’s no doubt about that. But as you heard (former) vice-president Gore say today it’s extremely important that there be leadership on this file.”

Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, which hosted Gore’s visit to Toronto, said “Ontario has shown the world that bold action on climate change can be done.”

“Ontarians should feel proud to live in the first jurisdiction in North America that is kicking the coal habit, a place that today took immediate meaningful action on climate change,” said Gray.

It has been estimated that Ontario’s coal-fired power plants caused $4.4 billion a year in health, environmental, and financial damages.

Wynne’s minority Liberals will need help from the opposition to pass the coal ban that would take effect once the Nanticoke Generating Station, North America’s largest coal plant, closes in 2014.

Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod (Nepean—Carleton) said her party wants to read the legislation before weighing in.

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“We’re going to take a look,” said MacLeod, noting the Tories began the phasing out of coal while in office a decade ago.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath worried that “the Liberals like to ‘greenwash’ everything, but when it comes to actually getting things done they’re not so good at that.”

“Did all parties want to get rid of coal?” she said. “Absolutely.”

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