Ford government´s cancellation of renewable energy projects to cost at least $231M
(The Star Television)

The Ford government’s cancellation of almost 800 renewable energy projects after taking power last year will cost Ontarians at least $231 million, sparking comparisons with a previous Liberal government’s costly axing of two natural gas-fired power plants. When the projects were cancelled, Energy Minister Greg Rickford repeatedly refused to discuss the costs of any penalties. He said legislation would be passed to keep them “as low as they can be,� and that the move would save electricity consumers $790 million. “How can the premier claim he’s saving taxpayers and ratepayers money when he’s throwing away $231 million not to build renewable energy?� New Democrat MPP Peter Tabuns said of the July 2018 decision to halt 758 projects and the White Pines wind turbine farm in Prince Edward County. “Wasting $231 million to cancel hydro contracts is the sort of thing the previous Liberal government did during the gas plants scandal,� Tabuns added. “The similarities are striking.�The $231-million figure was found by the NDP in the latest public accounts from the Ministry of Energy under operating expenses in a subsection called “other transactions.� It was later clarified for the legislative library by the ministry as funds “to wind down renewable energy contracts while ensuring that the costs of terminating those costs are not borne by electricity consumers.�Ontario’s auditor general found the cost of former premier Dalton McGuinty’s decision to scrap two politically unpopular gas plants in Mississauga and Oakville before the 2011 election could cost up to $1.1 billion over 20 years. The Liberal government’s initial estimates of the total cost were a fraction of that. On Tuesday, Associate Energy Minister Bill Walker defended the government’s decisions. “We believe we had to take those actions to try to ... lower costs across the board,� he ...