Costs for keeping hydro prices in Ontario artificially low continue to balloon, with the government quietly letting it slip in its budget projections that hydro subsidies will reach $5.6 billion this year.
And while the government is keen to blame green energy for both this rising cost and its failure to deliver on its promised 12% rate cut, the real story, of course, is the ever-rising cost of nuclear power in Ontario. With Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) nuclear prices up 109% between 2002 and 2019, and Bruce Power not doing much better with an 84% price increase, there is no real mystery about what is driving rising electricity costs in Ontario.
It is time for the government to start talking about the elephant in the room – the high cost of bloated nuclear projects. How does the government expect to reduce our bills when OPG says its price of nuclear electricity must rise by a further 73% by 2025 to pay for the re-building of its Darlington reactors? And why is the Government refusing to take Quebec up on its offer to supply Ontario with power at less than one-third the price of nuclear power in 2025?
For a government that claims to embrace fiscal discipline, the Ford Government seems awfully willing to throw good money after bad on nuclear projects when there are plenty of lower cost options, from Quebec water power to energy efficiency.
The Government is doing budget consultations and is asking for public input. Please tell Finance Minister Rod Phillips that the nuclear gravy train has got to end and that we have better ways to spend tax dollars than on subsidizing costly and unnecessary nuclear projects. Email Mr. Phillips atrod.phillips@pc.ola.org and cc me (angela@cleanairalliance.org).
Thank you.
Angela Bischoff, Director