What principles should the…

What principles should the government provide to the OEB to help inform the Board’s ongoing development of natural gas connection policies?

Value for ratepayers- Aim to provide value for ratepayers while ensuring a reasonable revenue stream for distributors.
Sustainability - Sustain investment in assets, resources, and businesses that provide value for ratepayers.
Public safety – Distribution must be operated in accordance with best practices to ensure public safety.
Community benefits – Investment in extensions of natural gas to small communities will provide many benefits to the community, including recreational opportunities, tourism, and economic development.

Natural Gas provides an affordable alternative energy source for residents and community buildings which is less affected by storms due to the infrastructure being underground which ensures it remains reliable even if there is a power outage ensuring strong resilience for the local economy.

Continued investment in the electricity grid is important but we also need to ensure our municipalities can meet the increasing energy needs today and tomorrow and with the assistance of natural gas our communities especially those in high growth areas will be able to meet their energy capacity needs immediately.