Yakabuski Exposes Liberal’s Plan to Hide Cap and Trade Costs from Natural Gas Consumers

QUEEN’S PARK – Today in the Legislative Assembly, Energy Critic John Yakabuski questioned the Minister of Energy as to why the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) is planning to hide the cost of the Liberal’s cap-and-trade scheme on natural gas bills. In a recently publicized document, Staff Discussion Paper on a Cap and Trade Regulatory Framework for the Natural Gas Utilities, the OEB stated its intention to conceal the cost of cap and trade from consumers by including it in the summary of delivery charges on bills.

By keeping Ontarians in the dark, fewer consumers would make the connection between the implementation of cap and trade in the province and higher natural gas prices. MPP Yakabuski voiced his outrage that the OEB—an organization that Minister Chiarelli has repeatedly stated is supposedly there to protect consumers—is trying to do the opposite in this instance.

“Ontarians deserve to know why their natural gas bills are going up. The government is trying to hide the damage that its misguided cap-and-trade scheme will have on Ontario families,” said MPP Yakabuski.

When asked as to why the OEB was concealing the truth about the costs of cap and trade, the Minister of Energy stated that the OEB is completely transparent in its operations. However, if this was true, then the OEB should list the costs of cap-and-trade as a separate line item on natural gas bills—as is the practice in other jurisdictions. Moreover, the natural gas utilities want the cost of cap-and-trade to be clearly indicated on natural gas bills.

Yakabuski implored Minister Chiarelli to bring Ontario in-line with Quebec and California, and ensure the OEB lists the cost as a separate line item on the bills of natural gas customers.

“Will Minister Chiarelli put his words into actions, be open and transparent with natural gas consumers, and order the OEB to put the cost of cap and trade as a separate line item on every natural gas bill in Ontario?”