Clean Energy Canada | Ontario’s energy plan is on the right path, but to save Ontario families money, it must help households electrify
October 22, 2024

TORONTO — Evan Pivnick, clean energy program manager at Clean Energy Canada, made the following statement in response to the Ontario’s energy plan, Ontario’s Affordable Energy Future: The Pressing Case for More Power:

“Clean Energy Canada welcomes Ontario’s ambition to be an energy superpower and its commitment to advancing an integrated energy strategy. However, moving forward Ontario must prioritize its clean energy advantage in order to help attract investment and support household affordability. Clean electricity—including the vital role played by renewables and household technologies—can be a strategic asset that will drive economic growth, bolster energy security and enhance long-term energy affordability for households. How Ontario chooses to grow its grid as demand for electricity increases, and the support it provides to households and businesses, will be key. 

“The government’s emphasis on energy efficiency and reducing energy costs for households is a critical step forward, and one where Ontario could be a leader if the right policies are put into place. As Clean Energy Canada’s recent report showed, a household in a detached home in the GTHA could save $550 on monthly energy costs by switching to a few key clean energy technologies, such as EVs and a heat pump.

“Supporting the adoption of these technologies needs to be a priority for the government. From offering incentives for EV and heat pump adoption to advancing measures that ensure condo and apartment dwellers have access to home charging, the government can learn from and implement the best practices already in place elsewhere.

“There are few technologies that can lower costs for Ontario families more than EVs. As a future North American hub for EV manufacturing, Ontarians should be first in line for the vehicles they will be building and the huge cost-savings EVs provide. In fact, supporting greater EV adoption will ensure a robust market for the very cars Ontario has started to build, helping secure the investments in the sector that have already been announced. And yet the province lags considerably behind the rest of Canada on EV uptake.

“The government’s commitment to introduce an integrated energy strategy is a major step forward for energy planning, but it must prioritize achieving two interconnected goals: maximizing the role of clean electricity and the achievement of climate targets. 

“The natural gas system in the province still has a role to play through the transition, but careful planning is required to prioritize the electrification of household energy use and avoid the overbuild and lock-in of natural gas assets. Ensuring affordable and secure access to energy in the long term depends on both of these objectives.

“There is also a notable lack of emphasis placed on the role that renewable energy—in particular, wind and solar—will play in achieving the government’s objectives. While renewables aren’t the answer for all of Ontario’s energy needs, maximizing the role they play is one of the best ways that Ontario can keep electricity rates lower in the long term. 

“Clean electricity is also key for powering growing industries like EV manufacturing, data centres and clean steel production, with companies prioritizing or requiring clean power for their operations. Driven by affordability, economic competitiveness and energy security objectives, jurisdictions around the world are increasingly putting renewables at the centre of their energy plans. Ontario should do the same.”

When it comes to maximizing the cost-saving opportunities for households, the province should consider the following priorities as it begins its consultation:

• Establish incentive programs that support the uptake of clean energy technologies that save Ontario families money. This should include a made-in-Ontario provincial EV purchase incentive for new affordable EVs aimed at supporting mainstream adoption as well as incentives to support the uptake of heat pumps for all households, not just households that currently heat with electricity.
• Provide an HST exemption on used EVs to help reduce upfront costs and provide a pathway into EV ownership for a broader array of families.
• Establish new requirements in the building code and refund and modify the ChargeON program to support charging infrastructure in multi-unit residential buildings, ensuring people in condos and townhomes, including renters, have an affordable and convenient place to plug in at home.” 

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