Ontario Municipalities – Town of Pelham In Niagara Among them – Speak Up For Residents, Not Gas Utility Profits

Niagara’s Regional Government  Recently Voted Against Calling on Ford Government Not To Override Ontario Energy Board Decision to End Subsidy for Building New Gas Pipelines

“Reinstating this subsidy for new methane gas hookups for developers will cost over $1 billion over the next 4 years alone. In addition to higher energy bills (versus heat pumps), these new gas hookups will be bad for new homebuyers who will breath toxic fumes from gas stoves, give their kids a greater risk of childhood asthma, and generate needless carbon pollution.”                                                           – Ontaro Clean Air Alliance 

A New Release from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a citizen group advocating for renewable energy and an end to climate ravaging fossil fuel emissions

Posted April 14^th, 2024

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large – We will the names  those on the Niagara Regional Council who voted against OEB’s decision to end gas pipe subsidies below this news release.)

Now here is the Ontario Clean Air Alliance’s News Release-

A number of Ontario municipalities are taking an important stand for their residents and our climate by calling on the Ford government to drop its plan to protect Enbridge Gas’ subsidies.

Hamilton, Guelph, Whitby, Severn, Lake of Bays, Kingston, County of Prince Edward, and Pelham have all passed resolutions urging the provincial government to not block a decision by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to end the subsidy for hooking up new homes to Enbridge’s gas system.

The OEB correctly noted that ending this subsidy would lead to lower energy bills for existing gas customers. This was not some spur of the moment decision by the OEB – it came after a year-long hearing that heard from many expert witnesses.

Within fifteen hours, the Ford government announced that it was going to overturn the decision by this arm’s length regulatory body that is responsible for ensuring consumers get a fair deal from utilities.

The Energy Minister made factually incorrect claims that continuing to build gas pipelines will somehow make building new subdivisions faster and cheaper, while ignoring all the evidence that heat pumps will save new home buyers money over time. He chose to defend a development industry stuck in old ways of doing things, and a fossil gas utility desperate to preserve its very profitable pipeline building activities.

Reinstating this subsidy for new methane gas hookups for developers will cost over $1 billion over the next 4 years alone.

In addition to higher energy bills (versus heat pumps), these new gas hookups will be bad for new homebuyers who will breath toxic fumes from gas stoves, give their kids a greater risk of childhood asthma, and generate needless carbon pollution (heating with gas generates roughly 20% of Ontario’s carbon pollution).

These homeowners will also face the risk of carbon dioxide poisoning from malfunctioning gas equipment, and will pay retrofit costs down the road to switch to zero-carbon heating.

Kudos to these municipalities for taking a stand for a cleaner, lower cost energy future. We need other municipalities to follow their lead and speak up for their residents and businesses. 

Ask your mayor and council to support the OEB’s decision to lower our energy bills and protect our climate. Reach out to me if you need support.

About The Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA), established in 1997, successfully led the campaign to phase out the use of dirty coal power in Ontario. We are now working to move our province to a 100% renewable electricity system. This includes replacing our high-emission gas power plants and high-cost nuclear power stations with a combination of conservation, made-in-Ontario wind and solar power, and water power imports and storage from Quebec. Together these would lower our electricity bills and greenhouse gas pollution. For more info click on : CleanAirAlliance.org OntarioClimateAction.ca

An Afterword from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper –

As if to openly mock their 2021 declaration of a “climate emergency”, a majority of Niagara Regional Councillors recently  voted not to join other municipalities in Ontario in urging the Ford government not to overrule a December 2023 decision by the Ontario Energy Board to stop using our tax dollars to subsidize the construction of any more gas pipelines to newly built homes.

In a vote of 14 to 12, a motion tabled by Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson at a March 21st council meeting, asking the Ford government not to overrule a December 21 Ontario Energy Board (OEB) decision was turned down.

Here is Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson’s March 21st, 2024 motion –

WHEREAS, residents are struggling with energy bill increases and need relief;

WHEREAS, natural gas is no longer the cheapest way to heat homes because electric heat pumps are now much more efficient, can provide all heating needs even in the cold climates, and result in far lower energy bills over the long term compared to gas heating;

WHEREAS, natural gas is methane gas, which is a fossil fuel that causes approximately one-third of Ontario’s GHG emissions, and must be phased out because it is inconsistent with all climate targets, while heat pumps result in the lowest GHG emissions and are consistent with a zero-carbon future; WHEREAS, the Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”) decided to end a subsidy for methane gas pipelines to be built in new construction developments, effective 2025, finding that this would lower energy bills for existing gas customers and improve affordability for new homebuyers;

WHEREAS, the OEB decision will help lower energy bills and encourage heating systems that are consistent with climate targets and plans;

WHEREAS, the construction of new methane gas pipelines, which have 60-year lifetimes, should not be subsidized because they are inconsistent with the Region’s climate targets and will result in higher carbon emissions, higher energy bills, higher future decarbonization retrofit costs to get off fossil fuel heating, and a continued financial drain as dollars leave the province to pay for fossil fuels extracted in other jurisdictions;

WHEREAS, Niagara Region declared a climate emergency in 2021;

WHEREAS, the Niagara Region has taken a number of steps to acknowledge and prioritize projects, programs, policies and initiatives to show leadership in addressing climate change by incorporating climate changes objectives into our Official Plan, joining the Partners for Climate Protection Program, developing the Niagara Climate Change Action Network, holding an annual Climate Change Summit and in developing the Niagara Climate Change Municipal Community of Practice. 737

 NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

1. That the Region of Niagara SUPPORTS the decision of the Ontario Energy Board to end the gas pipeline subsidy; and

2. That Region Chair BE DIRECTED to send correspondence to the Hon. Todd Smith, Minister of Energy, expressing Regional Council’s support for the OEB and requesting that their decision stand; and

3. That the Regional Clerk BE DIRECTED to circulate this motion to the President of Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Colin Best; Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford; Minister of Energy, Todd Smith; Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy and all Ontario Municipalities requesting support for the proposed changes

Here are the names of Regional Councilors  who voted for and against –

Those who voted YES to Huson’s motion include– St. Catharines Regional Councillor Haley Bateman, West Lincoln Regional Councillor and Mayor Cheryl Ganann, Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson, Fort Erie
Regional Councillor Tom Insinna, St. Catharines Regional Councillor Laura Ip, Grimsby Regional Councillor and Mayor Jeff Jordan, Pelham Regional Councillor and Mayor Marvin Junkin, Niagara-on-the-Lake Regonal Councillor Andrea Kaiser, St. Catharines Regional Councillor Tim Rigby, Port Colborne Regional Councillor and Mayor Peter Secord and West Lincoln Regional Councillor Albert Witteveen.

Those who voted NO to the motion include  – Welland Regional Councillor and Mayor Frank Campion, Welland Regonal Councillor Pat Chiocchio, Port Colborne Regonal Councillor Fred Davies, Lincoln Regional Councillor and Mayor Sandra Easton, Lincoln Regional Councillor Robert Foster, Wainfleet Regional Councillor and Mayor Brian Grant, St. Catharines Regonal Councillor Brian Heit, Fort Erie Regional Councillor and Mayor Wayne Redekop, Grimsby Regional Councillor Michelle Seaborn, St. Catharines Regional Councillor and Mayor Mat Siscoe, St. Catharines Regional Councillor Sal Sorrento, Thorold Regional Councillor and Mayor Terry Ugulini, Thorold Regional Councillor Tim Whalen, Welland Regonal Councillor Leanna Villella and Niagara-on-the-Lake Regional Councillor and Mayor Gary Zalepa.

(Any councillors not mentioned did not vote on the motion because they were absent from this meeting.)

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“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders