Cassandra Szklarski
Toronto Star
May 2, 2001

Ontario should consider building new power plants and sell output to an energy-hungry United States, Premier Mike Harris said yesterday.

But the idea revealed in the Legislature yesterday raised fears among critics that an expanded energy market would send Canadian rates soaring.

The Tory premier said he and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien discussed such a scheme after Chrétien met with U.S. President George W. Bush during last month’s Summit of the Americas.

”They felt there were great opportunities for more generation, maybe more nuclear plants, more CANDU reactors here in Canada, here in Ontario and . . . perhaps building surplus power, jobs and investments here to sell to the United States,” Harris said during Question Period at the Ontario legislature.

”That’s something I think we should look at.”

Harris insisted Ontario’s power needs would have to be met before any foreign sales are made.

New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton said allowing private Canadian utilities to sell to a lucrative American market, where rates in some places dwarf those in Canada, would drive our prices through the roof.

”Ontario consumers, Ontario industry will either have to pay double and triple the rates for electricity or we’ll watch our electricity being exported,” Howard Hampton responded in the legislature.

”Premier, don’t you get it? This is critical for Ontario’s economy.”

Harris promised Ontario interests will be put first.

”If our nuclear problems continue, we are not going to be exporting power to our neighbours, but importing power from our neighbours,” said Tom Adams, executive director of Energy Probe.