TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO:
WHEREAS Premier Doug Ford has decided to protect the profits of Enbridge with the introduction of Bill 165, Keeping Energy Costs Down, 2024;
WHEREAS Enbridge Inc. is a Canadian multinational oil and gas distribution company;
WHEREAS on December 21st, 2023 Ontario’s independent energy regulator (Ontario Energy Board OEB) decided to protect Enbridge customers from having to subsize Enbridge’s gas expansion plans because it raises energy bills for existing gas customers and new homebuyers, while also increasing financial risks for the whole gas system;
WHEREAS the very next day, the Ford government announced it would reverse the OEB decision and protect the interests of Enbridge;
WHEREAS ending the subsidy would save gas customers over $1 billion over 4 years in avoided pipeline subsidy costs, which comes to over $300 per customer (plus interest/profit payments paid by customers to Enbridge Gas on those amounts);
WHEREAS ending the subsidy will also encourage developers to install heat pumps in new homes instead of gas, which provides much cheaper heating and cooling for new homebuyers;
WHEREAS ending the subsidy would be a win-win-win-win, for the climate, new homebuyers and all Ontarians;
THEREFORE, WE THE UNDERSIGNED petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to defeat Bill 165, Keeping Energy Costs Down, 2024 and if the bill is passed, call on the Legislature to rescind as quickly as possible.