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Getting Zapped: Ontario electricity prices increasing faster than anywhere else
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Author Archives: energyprbe
Cold snap brings risk of blackouts
Santa Claus came early this year, bringing the gift of emergency power imports that barely kept Ontario’s Christmas lights, shopping malls and heavy industries from flickering into blackouts last week.
Ontario citizens might pray that Santa or another cold snap shows up again during next summer’s dog days. Chaos in Ontario’s power supply system is just around the corner, industry experts warn.
Ontario city that thrives on oil fears economic 'stagnation'
Sarnia businessman Ray Curran considers his city to be a "mini-Alberta" and, like that province, it stands to be hurt by the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, he contends.
"Sarnia is the centre of the oil and chemical industry of Ontario. We’ve got the Shells, we’ve got the Imperial Oils. And we feel that Kyoto is zeroing in on that segment," laments Curran, an outspoken critic of the accord and head of labour relations for the Sarnia Construction Association.
Ontario moves to fine-tune power sector legislation
More Ontario residents will qualify for a price cap on the electricity they consume after the provincial government introduced further changes yesterday to legislation governing the power sector.
The new measures will see the number of people eligible for the capped rate expanded from households and farmers to people who live in condominiums and apartment buildings, businesses with less than 50 employees and a recognized charitable institution.
Energy Probe's presentation to Ontario's electricity billing review
In early October 2002, Ontario Premier Ernie Eves made comments criticizing the Ontario Energy Board and electricity bills, ordering a review of rates. The review is being conducted by Deloitte Consulting. Concerned that rate issues are best handled through independent regulatory processes and not through politically-driven processes, Energy Probe participated in the review process with some reluctance. Attached are speaking notes for Energy Probe’s presentation to Deloitte Consulting.
Energy Probe Presentation Continue reading
Eves donor cashed in on power deal
The largest corporate donor to Premier Ernie Eves’ leadership campaign bought the first privatized Ontario Hydro plants eight weeks after his March victory, then enjoyed soaring revenues when Ontarians were hit with the highest power rates in history.
Last summer, the private power company drained consumer pocketbooks – and a watershed – in the bargain.
Critics zap new electricity rules
New rules for Ontario’s electricity system will put the public purse at risk if the province needs to buy expensive imported power in the future, according to critics.
But the province says that with new generators coming on stream, the province isn’t likely to face the same need for imported power that currently exists – a need that cost about $200 million to fill this summer and fall.
The province has introduced new regulations for the power market to complement legislation passed this week.
Study begins on waterfront power plant
Ontario Power Generation is partnering with Calgary-based TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. to study the viability of building a fossil-fuel power plant on Toronto’s waterfront.
The limited partnership, called Portlands Energy Centre L.P., or PEC, will immediately begin environmental and economic studies for the proposed 550 megawatt natural gas power-generation facility.
The plant would be located on part of the former R.L. Hearn Generating Station, which is owned by Ontario Power Generation, or OPG.
U.K. firm sells Bruce stake
British Energy PLC is selling its 82-per-cent stake in Bruce Power LP to a group of Canadian businesses for $950-million, but a forecast shows the deal still won’t ease Ontario’s energy supply problems.
Under the sale, TransCanada PipeLines Ltd., Cameco Corp. and a unit of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Board (OMERS) will become the new majority owners of Bruce. The three will each own 31.6 per cent of Bruce, while two unions will own 5.2 per cent.
Enbridge disputes board's decision
Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. has asked the Ontario Energy Board to reconsider a decision last month in which the board questioned whether Enbridge still has the in-house expertise to run gas pipelines.
Enbridge Gas Distribution has 1.5 million customers in Ontario, and serves most of Greater Toronto east of Oakville.
The company has been aggressively outsourcing operations, including gas purchasing, pipeline operating control and customer service – in many cases to its parent, Enbridge Inc., or to other Enbridge affiliates.
Power rate cap likely to cost taxpayers plenty
It’s becoming clear how much money the Ontario government will have to spend to bribe voters by ending the province’s brief flirtation with an open electricity market and capping power rates.
The province’s 86 local electrical utilities reported this week that they lost $110-million in December because they had to buy electricity on the volatile wholesale market while selling it at the government’s mandated retail rate of 4.3 cents a kilowatt-hour.
Energy Probe 