Paying for the green energy conspiracy

The Liberal provincial government, originally under Dalton McGuinty and then under Kathleen Wynne, have intentionally doubled the energy costs for Ontario citizens.

In what could be described as a criminal initiative, the Grits enacted the Green Energy Act, forcing taxpayers to subsidize wind turbines and solar activities, knowing full well it couldn’t possibly provide the needed power generation to keep costs reasonable.

Much of the reason the government has been able to escape with relatively little condemnation for the hoax is that most of the mainstream media and their subordinates have simply looked the other way. The unions of this province also deserve a lot of credit for high energy costs for the consumer by helping get the Liberals re-elected come hell or high water despite a string of scandals that cost the taxpayers billions.

But that was okay with the unions as long as their favourite party remained in charge to protect their financial power and big pensions.

For the most part the media did not hold the Liberal government accountable, many of them agreeing that green energy is a wonderful addition and taxpayers should be willing to shoulder the burden. This despite forcing fixed income seniors barely surviving in the face of rising food and gas costs to pay the highest hydro costs of any jurisdiction in North America.

Whether you’re on the right or the left, this green strategy was unconscionably wrong. Experts have repeatedly warned the public exactly why it was wrong from the outset only to have it fall on deaf ears.

Now your Hydro bills include a new charge called “global adjustment” which compensates for the government’s desire to close the coal-fired plants in favour of continuing into long-term contracts with renewable energy companies. The result is “higher than market value costs” for Ontario residents even though energy costs are decreasing in the United States.

A recent report issued by the Fraser Institute makes several reasonable recommendations to alleviate Ontario’s energy dilemma They make too much sense for the Liberals to even consider, however. The report seeks a moratorium on all new renewable energy initiatives, pursuit of regulatory and legislative options to reduce operating renewable capacity, keeping available for restart four of 12 coal-burning units and exploring the option of large-scale imports of power from Hydro Quebec to bridge the interval for nuclear power plant refurbishment and careful scrutiny of nuclear refurbishment investment value.

If mayor-elect John Tory wants to do something constructive for Toronto taxpayers and everyone else in Ontario he should be speaking to the Wynne government to do something for the citizens instead of the unions. And maybe MPP Lou Rinaldi, in his new parliamentary assistant capacity, could ask for a green energy review that would make it easier for everybody to pay their Hydro bills. But don’t hold your breath.

Rolly Ethier

Campbellford

Paying for the green energy conspiracy