Statement from Ontario NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns

TORONTO – Ontario NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns issued the following statement regarding today’s Fraser Institute report on Ontario’s skyrocketing hydro costs:

“The report released this morning by the Fraser Institute shows that Ontario families are being gouged, paying the highest prices for hydro in the nation.

That report underscores the need to bring hydro back into public hands so we can regain control over skyrocketing bills.

With hydro bills going up at four times the rate of inflation, still we see another 20 per cent hike to delivery rates being considered. And top of that, we learned yesterday that Hydro One will buy and merge with American utility giant Avista — a move to create a huge multinational utility that means even less control and even more financial risk for Ontarians.

The NDP has a plan to lower hydro bills for everyone by at least 30 per cent and bring hydro back into public hands, so families can afford to keep their lights on and make dinner at dinner time once again, and hydro revenues can be invested into the services people need, from health care to transit.”