Reviewing Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan
The Ministry of Energy will review Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan and wants to hear from you.
The original Plan, released in November 2010, recommended a three-year review.
The Long-Term Energy plan considers all aspects of Ontario’s electricity system – conservation, generation, transmission, distribution and emerging technologies such as energy storage.
Today, Ontario finds itself in an enviable position: we have a diverse supply of energy for many years to come. But the energy sector is constantly evolving. We need to be able to respond quickly and with innovative solutions to changes in energy consumption patterns, economic requirements and to emerging technologies.
The review includes a strong and transparent consultation process with the public, municipalities and the energy sector and engagement of Aboriginal leaders and communities. These conversations will be on all aspects of our energy plan including the different forms of generation such as renewable, hydroelectric, natural gas, and nuclear, our conservation efforts and opportunities to control costs and ensure affordability.
We must plan Ontario’s energy future with input and advice from every corner of the province. Together, we will continue to build a clean, modern and reliable electricity system.
Outreach will begin in summer 2013.
Excerpt from Minister Chiarelli’s speech to the Ontario Power Conference on April 16, 2013:
“It’s clear that we’ve made real progress. But the energy sector is constantly evolving, especially as energy consumption habits and economic conditions change. So our Long-Term Energy Plan must also evolve. That’s why I have instructed my Ministry to work with the OPA, IESO, and other key agencies to update our long term supply and demand forecasts. And it’s why today I am announcing a formal review of the Long-Term Energy Plan, to be completed within six months.
Our review will be based on a strong and transparent consultation process with the public, municipalities and the energy sector. We will hold consultation sessions in every region of the Province and we’ll engage with Aboriginal communities and leaders. And our consultation will include easy-to-access opportunities to comment through the web. It’s absolutely critical that we plan Ontario’s energy future with input and advice from every corner of the province. I’m sure the range of perspectives will be broad and far-reaching, and I want to highlight three of the elements that I’m looking forward to discussing.
The first is your feedback on Ontario’s supply mix. The diversity of our electricity generation is one of the greatest strengths of our electricity system. Working together, we’ll ask ourselves broad questions about where and how Ontario should produce power in the future.
The second element is conservation. Our government strongly feels that conservation must play a more prominent role in our energy planning. We must look beyond our surplus situation in the short term, and build a culture of conservation now and into the future. Conservation is the most efficient way that we can help ratepayers reduce their costs. Whether it’s through our innovative smart grid or home retrofitting, conservation gives ratepayers power over how much energy they use, and how much they pay for it.
And finally, we will create a predictable and sustainable clean energy procurement process. Clean energy is essential to our energy future. Together, we’ll provide the right conditions to continue building our green energy industry.”
