Canadian Press

May 26, 2006

A surprise Ontario government cabinet shuffle that returned Dwight Duncan to the Energy portfolio has further delayed a key report outlining the province’s strategy to prevent electricity shortages, sources said yesterday.

The report – a formal response to December recommendations that $40 billion be spent on upgrading and expanding existing nuclear plants to prevent blackouts – was expected weeks ago.

Donna Cansfield, who was energy minister before the shuffle, had been expected to respond to the Ontario Power Authority’s proposal in the next week or two.

But her move to Transportation – part of a domino effect caused by Greg Sorbara’s reinstatement to the Finance portfolio – will further hold up the response, which is highly anticipated by energy sector stakeholders including environmentalists, nuclear power proponents and consumer watchdogs.

A government source said it could be mid- to late June before Duncan is in a position to release such a statement, which would launch a process that could eventually result in the construction of new nuclear power facilities.

Even after the government responds to the report, Premier Dalton McGuinty has promised months of discussion about how to meet energy supply targets in an environmentally safe manner.

Without substantial new electricity generating capacity, Ontario is poised for shortages five years from now, the report warned.

The government’s plan of action has been delayed several times. It was last expected in mid-April, but sources have said Cansfield was stalling in a bid to squeeze in more measures to encourage energy conservation among Ontarians.

"The government is way behind schedule," said Tom Adams, executive director of Energy Probe, a Toronto consumer research watchdog. "This file’s on fire. They’re in such trouble on this thing."

The Ontario Clean Air Alliance, however, said it isn’t too concerned about another holdup, despite summer’s impending arrival.

"A delay of a few months to get the job done right is certainly worthwhile," said Jack Gibbons, who chairs the alliance of 89 health, environmental and consumer organizations.

Gibbons said he was pleased with Duncan’s reappointment, prompted by a judicial ruling that removed Sorbara’s name from warrants used in an RCMP investigation.