On March 21, the Ontario Energy Association (OEA) released a set of policies designed to inform candidates and voters in advance of the upcoming Ontario election. The organization developed the Energy Platform “to educate all of the political parties on those energy needs and to provide specific recommendations on how to optimize energy policy for Ontario energy consumers.” It was designed with the objective of securing an energy system that is “low cost, clean, and reliable.”
OEA Chair Cynthia Hansen said, “Open, transparent planning processes, a focus on optimizing existing infrastructure, and regulatory evolution to reflect our changing needs will be integral to Ontario’s affordable, reliable and clean energy future. These recommendations should guide the energy policy decisions of any government.”
The Energy Platform recommendations focus on three key areas:
1) Reforming the governance of energy planning;
2) Optimizing use of existing infrastructure; and
3) Lead regulatory evolution.
The first recommendation provides political parties with a process to instill public confidence and achieve low cost outcomes for consumers through a competitive and transparent governance framework for energy planning. The second recommendation focuses on optimizing existing infrastructure investments such as, pipelines, transmission lines, distribution infrastructure, power plants, refineries and storage facilities, to help Ontario achieve low cost, reliable and clean outcomes for consumers. The third recommendation describes the changes that will be required to adapt our energy system to changing technology and the changing needs of energy consumers.
The Energy Platform is designed to serve as a non-partisan, educational resource “to help leaders make well-informed decisions that can ensure a strong energy future for Ontario.”
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Ontario Energy Stakeholders Alliance (OESA) energy policy framework.