Posts Tagged ‘Hydro One’
Hydro One Green Energy Act Cash Grab In For a Bumpy Ride
On August 17th I wrote an entry called ‘Hydro One Seeks Permission to Raise Distribution Rates 24.3% Over Two Years Cites Green Energy Act as Reason’ and quoted George Smitherman’s BS comment about how the Green Energy Act would only increase the rate of electricity by 1% per year.
On August 18th www.smalldeadanimals.com posted ‘Y2Kyoto: We Don’t Need No Stinking Giant Fans’ to help get this story out.
On August 19th netnewsledger.com wrote an article called ‘McGuinty Green Will Turn Income Statements Red‘ further carrying this story along and helping to keep it alive.
Today, on August 21st, John Yakabuski, the Energy Critic for the Progressive Conservatives issued the following press release ‘Liberals Misleading on Energy Prices‘ essentially calling out the Liberal government for the reasons myself, Kate at smalldeadanimals.com and James at netnewsledger.com have. I was glad to see him it all the points that have been previously made, including that this massive cash grab is also subject to the HST when it is implemented in 2010.
I sincerely hope Yakabuski gets some play on his release in hopes of helping to force the government to back down on this. As President of Wind Concerns Ontario, I can tell you that our organization will be standing up for Ontarians in opposing this massive cash grab on behalf of Hydro One (a 100% provincially owned entity).
Now it is the mainstream media’s turn to weigh in on this. The public can also comment by writing boardsec@oeb.gov.on.ca to voice your opposition. Be sure to cite board file EB-2009-0096 when doing so. Be sure to send them your comments before September 16th 2009. For comment ideas, feel free to view any of the links above or contact me directly.
Below is Yakabuski’s release.
LIBERALS MISLEADING ON ENERGY PRICES 8/21/2009 11:00:00 AM
(Ottawa, ON) – Energy Critic John Yakabuski (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP) said today that Dalton McGuinty and George Smitherman have clearly pulled a fast one on Ontario electricity customers. Yakabuski pointed out that the recent request by Hydro One for shocking rate increases is proof that Energy Minister Smitherman was not being honest when he repeatedly claimed that the “Green Energy Act” would only add 1% per year to your electricity bill.
“This is simply unacceptable. How can Dalton McGuinty and George Smitherman allow this to happen?” said Yakabuski. “Have they no regard for what people are going through these days? And worse yet, the McGuinty Liberals will rub salt into the wound when they add a further 8% to your bill with the implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax on July 1, 2010.”
Hydro One’s request would see the delivery charge on the average residential customer’s bill rise by 9.5% in 2010 and 13.3% in 2011. Some customers could see their charges go up by as much as 24.6% next year. Electricity is an essential commodity. While everyone is encouraged to conserve, this rate increase will do the opposite. As these charges are for delivery, bills will rise even when consumers use less. Yakabuski assures that Tim Hudak and the Progressive Conservative Caucus will not allow this to go unchallenged.
“The Liberal government was warned that their policies would lead to this, but they denied it or just didn’t seem to care,” said Yakabuski. “This could be devastating to so many Ontarians already struggling to pay their bills. We will fight tooth and nail to protect families, seniors and all electricity ratepayers from these harmful increases. We will hold the Liberals accountable.”
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For More Information:
Mr. John Yakabuski
(613) 639-3005
1 Comment »Hydro One Seeks Permission to Raise Distribution Rates 24.3% Over Two Years Cites Green Energy Act as Reason
Today it became public that Hydro One has asked the Ontario Energy Board for permission to raise the cost of distribution to all Ontario customers an average of 9.5% in 2010 and 13.3% in 2011 to cover $266 million dollars in costs relating to their four year Green Energy Plan for 2010 to 2014. By 2011 the impact of this $266 million will be an average increase of 24.3% over two years on the delivery portion of every Ontarian’s hydro bill. Because each public utility is a customer of Hydro One, it doesn’t matter who sells you your electricity – this impacts you.
In February 2009, George Smitherman told Ontarians that the cost to implement the five billion dollars of investment Ontario is expected to make in renewable energy as part of the Green Energy Act would result in an annual increase of approximately 1% per year on the average hydro bill.
Considering the cost of just 5% of Smitherman’s proposed five billion in investments will have an impact of 24.3% on your bill, you do the math and figure out how that other 95% of investment will impact your bill.
On it’s own the impact of these distribution increases over 2010 and 2011 will be crippling for Industry and citizens in Ontario and will have a devastating impact on many families. It will hurt any economic recovery that is underway in 2010 or 2011, and the worst part, it will be subject to the new harmonized sales tax, which will add an extra 8% to everyone’s bill as well.
Below is a press release I issued on this today, in hopes the media will pick up on this massive increase to the cost of electricity before it happens. Every Ontarian has the right to address the Ontario Energy Board on this issue and should if you believe this 24.3% increase in the cost of the delivery portion of your bill would hurt you financially. I will be posting the details on responding to this application by Hydro One – a 100% Ontario Government owned crown corporation to the Ontario Energy Board (an agency of the Ontario government) as a result of the Green Energy Act (a bill written by Ontario Liberal Party lobbyists and donors from the wind industry and passed by the McGuinty Government).
9.5% and 13.3% Increase to Delivery Portion of Hydro Bill in 2010/2011 – Result of Green Energy Act
Media Release
Hydro One is seeking permission from the Ontario Energy Board to raise the delivery portion of hydro bills in Ontario by 9.5% in 2010 and 13.3% in 2011, in an attempt to raise over 250 million dollars to cover increased distribution costs. Much of that cost is tied to its Green Energy Plan for 2010-2014.
This is in stark contrast to Minister Smitherman’s statement on February 23rd 2009, “We anticipate that associated with the investments that I’m speaking about today, [the increase will be] approximately one per cent per year.” – George Smitherman, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure discussing the financial impacts of the GREEN ENERGY ACT.
“This massive increase just deals with the increased cost of delivering wind factory produced energy. We aren’t even dealing with the increased cost of promising wind developers’ a price for their power which is three to five times higher than the current retail cost.” commented John Laforet, President of Wind Concerns Ontario, a coalition of thirty- four grassroots citizen groups spread out over twenty-one counties and the Cities of Toronto and Ottawa.
“Especially during the tough times Ontario industry and citizens are facing through this painful recession, it is the wrong time for these kind of increases, brought on by an irresponsible and ill-advised plan of our energy future by this government” said John Laforet in response to the impacts this will have on Ontario’s people and economy.
“The government needs to realize that this plan is unsustainable and unaffordable for Ontarians. Steep increases like these to our hydro bills, which will be subject to an additional 8% tax when the PST is harmonized are really going to hurt a lot of folks who are just barely hanging on.”
Wind Concerns Ontario is calling on Minister Smitherman and the Ontario Energy Board to keep his promise to Ontarians that electricity bills would not see increases of more than 1 percent per year and develop an energy plan that reflects that reality.
For More Information Contact:
Beth Harrington, Media Relations, Wind Concerns Ontario
John Laforet, President Wind Concerns Ontario
