Queen’s Park moves to silence dissent on electricity

A new law would shut down the last arena of independent public review of the billions of dollars in public spending on electricity.

Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli put forward Bill 112, which would eliminate an essential layer
of independent oversight of provincial energy policy, writes Brady Yauch.

Ontario's desire for total control over all aspects of the electricity sector is nearly fulfilled.

The push to eliminate dissent and independent review of the province’s energy monopolies has been a decade in the making. Since 2004, many of the province’s largest and most expensive policies were implemented with little to no oversight — at great cost to ratepayers, as the Auditor General forcefully highlighted in her recent annual report.

But Queen’s Park is set to fully take over all decision-making regarding the province's energy monopolies by solidifying its control over the province’s energy regulator, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), with the recent passing of Bill 112. In doing so, Ontario is shutting down the last arena of independent public review of the billions of dollars being spent by the province and its many publicly owned utilities.

The legislation, “Strengthening Consumer Protection and Electricity System Oversight Act,” would deny independent intervenors the funds needed to hire the lawyers and experts needed at these hearings, effectively blocking their participation.  (more...)

Queen’s Park moves to silence dissent on electricity

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