Hydro mess continues as Liberals waste equivalent of 760,000 homes worth of power

QUEEN’S PARK – Today Ontario PC Energy Critic Todd Smith revealed shocking data from the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers that shows the Wynne Liberals wasted 7.6 terawatt-hours of clean electricity last year – the equivalent of powering 760,000 homes for a year. This represents a 58 per cent increase from the 4.8 terawatt-hours of electricity wasted in 2015.

“This is the direct result of the Liberals handing out expensive green energy contracts to Liberal donors for power we don’t need,” said Smith. “We’re selling power at a loss to states like Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, and allowing affordable green hydro power to get wasted. This is going to continue to happen until we address the root of Ontario’s hydro crisis and dismantle the Green Energy Act.”

This latest example of Liberal waste and incompetence comes on the heels of Hydro One applying for a rate hike that would see households paying $141 more per year.

“Ontario still has the fastest rising rates in North America, and Kathleen Wynne’s Unfair Hydro Plan does nothing to change that,” added Smith. “Rates are still going up and they’re going to continue to go up under the Wynne Liberals.”

“Over the next few days you’ll be hearing a lot of Liberal spin about how hydro rates are going down, but that’s simply not the case.” Smith concluded. “This latest example of Liberal mismanagement in the energy file means rates are going up – and it will only get worse under their watch.”