TORONTO – A coalition of environmental groups and unions say that todays electricity rate hike will not help the provinces power system.
We have an electricity system in crisis and this rate hike wont help one bit, says Paul Kahnert, of the Ontario Electricity Coalition. Consumers think they are paying to improve the system. Instead, they are paying for the profits of private companies like Brascan and Bruce Power. Millions of dollars are being sucked out of the system and unless the Liberal government makes a strong commitment to public power, the trend will escalate. Ontario cannot afford private power. We do not need to be paying retailers, investors, and commodity brokers.
The coalition is concerned about the influence of the big power companies. We are urging the Ontario government to fund conservation measures and rebuild the public power system, says John Wilson, an energy consultant and former Hydro One board member. Every cent of electricity rates should go towards rebuilding public power, but private power companies are doing some fierce lobbying to get the Liberal government to invest in private power generation. We are urging the government to stick to its election promise and protect public power in Ontario.
Conservation solutions are ignored
The coalition is calling for aggressive conservation legislation to protect the environment. Conservation is the answer to our electricity crisis and it is being ignored, says Keith Stewart, of the Toronto Environmental Alliance. We could increase our supply of electricity in no time by introducing measures to lower electricity consumption. It is similar to health care prevention is always more effective than trying to find a cure. We are calling on the government to get conservation going now, before it is too late.
For more information, please contact:
Paul Kahnert
Ontario Electricity Coalition
(416) 407-0077
(866) 391-2733
Shannon McManus
CUPE Communications
(416) 292-3999
(416) 766-3252
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