Ontario government develops new energy planning policy

The Ontario government is developing a new policy designed to ensure the province invests in conservation measures before building new generation sites, whenever it is cost-effective to do so.

To help design Ontario’s energy path moving forward, the government released Conservation First: A Renewed Vision for Energy Conservation in Ontario. Government officials say it will help guide discussion as the province seeks input from Aboriginal partners, members of the public, local utilities, municipalities, environmental groups, business associations, and other stakeholders to develop a new Conservation and Demand Management framework. Feedback from these discussions will also inform the review of the province’s Long Term Energy Plan.

The province has been working on programs designed to help reduce electricity demand and increase efficiency. Investments in conservation programs over the last eight years have allowed Ontario to avoid building new generation that would have cost more than $4 billion.

The Conservation and Demand Management framework sets out policy priorities for conservation, prescribes targets for local utilities and establishes funding for conservation programs. It began in 2011 and applies until the end of 2014.