There will be no new Hamilton gas pipeline – at least for now. Yesterday, Enbridge Gas withdrew its application to build a giant new pipeline through sensitive natural areas in Hamilton to bring more US fracked gas to Ontario and to facilitate Doug Ford’s plan to ramp up the output of Ontario’s gas-fired power plants by more than 300%.
Enbridge said it was withdrawing the pipeline proposal due to a drop in demand for fossil gas. We have always maintained that there was indeed no need for this pipeline and that there were many better ways to meet our energy requirements, especially lower-cost efficiency efforts.
One of the most outrageous parts of the Enbridge proposal was the company’s intention to use the pipeline to deliver fracked gas from Pennsylvania to New England via Ontario and Quebec and thereby circumvent a fracked gas pipeline ban in New York State. Now, Ontario will not be used as a convenient detour around climate leadership.
Your emails, calls and letters had a big impact on pushing Enbridge to reconsider this pipeline and the likelihood of getting it built. Initial submissions at the Ontario Energy Board, where the environmental position was ably communicated by lawyer Kent Elson on behalf of Environmental Defence, also made it clear that Enbridge had a weak case when it came to the need and business case for this giant new pipe.
Enbridge has left the door open to bringing back its pipe-dream later, but we urge the company to reconsider and realize that deepening energy efficiency efforts and transitioning away from fossil fuels is the direction it should head.
Thank you for standing up for our climate!
Angela Bischoff, Campaigns Director