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Wynne’s watts

March 9, 2017

To the Editor,

One thing I have to say: this premier has provided so many good opportunities for scribblers like me; it makes writing about the electricity debacle duck soup.

How about the latest gambits?

Stretch out the payments and tell folks you saved money when in fact they will pay more over the long term

Instead of forcing electricity customers to pay for social programs (the RRRP and the OESP) move the costs to the taxpayers, most of whom I believe are electricity consumers.

Cut out low-cost coal production (3.5 cents per KWH cost) and replace it with high-cost solar power (80 cents per KWH) in order to have bragging rights at global environment conferences.

In the interests of appearing to be steering an expanding economy, grossly overestimate  the electricity needs and guarantee suppliers production targets you then sell off to New York State at bargain basement prices.

I was at a Hydro One rate hearing recently and Hydro One customers have been cutting consumption dramatically as you know — down about nine per cent in 2016. And these conservation programs are costing billions of dollars. But, because our regulator, the Ontario Energy Board, guarantees Hydro One revenues based on the optimistic forecasts mentioned above, Hydro One is looking for payment of all forgone revenue in early 2017. You are right. If you conserve, then Hydro One simply raises the unit price. Wynne can’t seem to even grasp the idiocy of this.

Is there any good news about this disaster?

Here is a good one: does the premier know that shift supervisors (and there are a lot of them) at Ontario Power Generation make substantially more than she does?

The opposition parties, particularly Patrick Brown’s Conservatives, should be terrorized by the Liberal record of mismanagement. So far they have been silent about real fixes. The NDP say they are going to cut costs by 30 per cent, but the devil is in the details and they have none.

Our neighbours (Manitoba and Quebec) run dramatically better electricity operations. Maybe we should sell our operations to them instead of the public as Wynne is doing.

We haven’t had a new microFIT program, a Samsung massive wind plant contract, a gas plant cancellation, a replacement of  a low-cost coal production plant with a high-cost green energy program recently.

Folks can see through Wynne’s attempt this week to bribe them with their own money.

Wynne’s wattage is at an all time low. Let’s be sure the lights go out next year and we give someone else a chance.

Bill Cheshire
Baptiste Lake