In an unprecedented move on September 25, the Ontario government published a set of 30 letters from Premier Kathleen Wynne setting out the mandates and responsibilities for each of the province’s newly-appointed cabinet Ministers.
Mandate letters have traditionally been private memos from the premier to each of the ministers establishing working objectives for the coming term of office. Making the mandate letters public documents for the first time in Ontario was cited as an example of the Wynne administration’s commitment to transparency and “open government.”
Ten days earlier in Alberta, another recently elected Premier, Jim Prentice, took a similar step of releasing mandate letters for his cabinet ministers.
Premier Wynne’s mandate letter on energy, while essentially confirming the current direction of provincial energy policy, provides some insight into the priorities that are likely to be top of mind for the government officials.
There is an interesting balance set between supply and conservation, for example. Although the government’s Long Term Energy Plan establishes a “Conservation First approach” whereby investments in new supply are to be approved only if they can be shown to be more attractive than conservation, the mandate letter states that the government’s top energy priority is “providing Ontarians with a clean, reliable and affordable supply of electricity. This includes bringing on new, clean generation and ensuring investment in the transmission system to maintain grid reliability and serve new demand.” This apparent difference is explained by the fact that, according to the Conservation First framework, conservation will be the first “supply” resource considered to meet demand.
Likely for the first time, regional energy planning figures prominently in provincial priorities. Early in the mandate letter, Premier Wynne tells Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli, “Through integrated regional planning, you will identify solutions to meet regional needs, based on consultations that consider unique local requirements, circumstances and community priorities.”
The core of Wynne’s instructions to Minister Chiarelli revolves around “Implementing the Long-Term Energy Plan” (LTEP). Major aspects of the LTEP that are reinforced through the letter are Pursuing Energy Conservation, electricity price mitigation for retail and business customers, Championing Renewable Energy, Refurbishing Nuclear Power Plants, Supporting Community-Level Energy Planning and Consulting with Aboriginal Communities.
Consistent with legislation already passed, Wynne reiterates that Chiarelli will be “Working with the OPA and the IESO to implement legislation merging the two agencies into a single entity,” noting that “Your goal is a smooth transition that achieves savings and efficiencies for energy ratepayers.
Premier Wynne also enlists Minister Chiarelli’s help in developing a Canadian Energy Strategy, an ambitious project that entails working with the other provinces in Canada to alleviate barriers to trade, encourage technology innovation, and find solutions to climate change. (See “Premiers agree on principles and vision for Canadian Energy Strategy” on page 32. )
The mandate letter devotes attention to the importance of extending access to natural gas supplies to more consumers in Ontario, and clarifies that the Minister’s duties include “Protecting Ontario’s Interests in Pipeline Development.”
Additional significant priorities include “Maximizing Return on Investment from Electricity Sector Agencies,” “Exporting Ontario’s Energy Expertise,” and “Implementing and Doing Research and Development for a Smart Grid.”
The full text of the energy mandate letter, along with all 30 mandate letters, is available at http://www.ontario.ca/government/mandate-letters.