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Letter: Fedeli's comments on electricity misleading, says Thibeault

Sudbury MPP says there are greater challenges in the North
FedeliSized
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli's comments on the province's electricity system disappoint Sudbury MPP and Ontario Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault. Supplied photo.

It was disappointing to see Vic Fedeli’s misleading comments about the electricity sector on Sudbury.com.  

These sorts of comments hamper Ontarians’ ability to have a productive conversation about energy in this province, and showcase a continuing lack of leadership from the Progressive Conservative Party in Ontario.

As the Minister of Energy and a northerner myself, I am acutely aware of the challenge caused by electricity prices, particularly in the North. Our efforts in the last 10 years to rebuild our electricity system – transitioning from dirty, unreliable power to a system that is clean and dependable – have come with a cost. In the North, the challenges of delivering power mean these costs can present an even greater challenge.

This is what Mr. Fedeli refers to with the Financial Accountability Officer’s report. The FAO found that the cost of energy tends to be a greater burden to those in rural and Northern areas, and to those with a lower income. 

The FAO’s reports provide helpful context to the electricity sector in our province. In a report released last fall, the FAO compared energy costs across the country and found that the average Ontario family is in the middle of the pack when compared to other provinces. For electricity costs, our province is actually one of the lowest. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Fedeli has cherry-picked his facts, and fails to mention these important findings by this independent officer at Queen’s Park.

What Mr. Fedeli also fails to mention is the series of actions our government has taken to address exactly this issue. Northern families can receive hundreds of dollars in tax credits for their energy costs (with even more available for those on a low income). Starting this month, we also have doubled a program which lowers delivery costs to remote customers, saving hundreds more for these families. And as of the New Year, bills across the province have been lowered by eight per cent, a measure which provides the most support to those with the highest costs.

As well as failing to mention any of these programs which help people in the North, Mr. Fedeli conspicuously misses the opportunity to offer any plan of his own. This has become par for the course from the Conservatives in our province – all bluster, but no courage to offer real solutions. 

But perhaps most absurd from Mr. Fedeli is his accusation that our electricity system has become unreliable. Ontarians will remember the constant rolling brownouts and the devastating blackout in our province under the PCs. Today, we have a system that is one of the most reliable in North America and when a storm or unfortunate accident knocks out parts of our system, our power workers and linemen across the province do incredible work to ensure Ontarians have the power they need, when they need it.

While we wait to see if Mr. Fedeli and his colleagues have any ideas of their own, our government is going to continue to take action. On top of the steps already taken, we have committed to doing more to reduce electricity costs in the coming months. Given Mr. Fedeli’s concern, I look forward to his support as we move forward to help Ontarians with their energy costs. 

Glenn Thibeault
Sudbury MPP and Minister of Energy