Let the wind blow free, not for profit
"Under the McGuinty government's Electricity Restructuring Act, enacted in 2004, our publicly owned and controlled power generator - Ontario Power Generation (OPG) - was barred from bidding on the development of new, green power generation," said coalition spokesperson Paul Kahnert. "The province is denying its citizens the right to benefit from what nature provides us."
The many advantages of public power generation include the ability of public institutions to borrow money for new development at lower cost than the private sector. Higher borrowing costs combined with the need to make a profit mean higher electricity costs for consumers, both residential or business.
In addition, Kahnert said, public power generation can provide consumers with at-cost electricity or reinvest profits in effective conservation programs.
"Profit-making is the antithesis of conservation," he said. "If the province intends to move more quickly toward increased wind power, it must allow OPG to participate in the development of new generation projects on behalf of the people of Ontario for the benefit of the people of Ontario."
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Hydro One, Avista to ask U.S. regulator to reconsider order against acquisition
TORONTO - Hydro One Ltd. and Avista Corp. say they plan to formally request that the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission reconsider its order last week denying approval of the $6.7-billion takeover of the U.S.-based energy utility.
The two companies say they will file a petition no later than Dec. 17 but haven't indicated on what grounds they are making the request.
Under Washington State law, the UTC has 20 days to consider the petition, otherwise it is deemed to be denied.
If it reconsiders its decision, the UTC can modify the prior order or take any actions it deems appropriate including extending…
