Last week, the Ontario government announced a whopping $285 million handout to TC Energy for pre-development work for its proposed pumped storage facility on the Niagara Escarpment near Meaford, Ontario – a project that would cost electricity consumers $4-7 billion.

Even the Independent Electricity System Operator says the project doesn’t compare favourably to alternatives like battery storage, and won’t provide net benefits to Ontario’s electricity system or ratepayers.

A much better way to spend almost $300 million would be to expand our east-west transmission connections with Quebec. This would allow the province to tap into Quebec’s massive hydro-electric reservoir system, storing variable wind and solar energy at a significantly lower cost – 84-90% lower than what TC Energy is proposing.

This is just another sweetheart, backroom deal for a rich corporation, funded by electricity consumers.

Tell Energy Minister Stephen Lecce to reconsider this handout to TC Energy >>