Andrea Pastori, Cabinet…

Andrea Pastori, Cabinet Liaison and Strategic Policy Coordinator

Ministry of Energy

Strategic, Network and Agency Policy Division, Strategic Policy and Analytics Branch

6th Floor, 77 Grenville Street

Toronto, M7A 2C1

Dear Ms. Pastori

I have two priority interests in Ontario's Long Term Energy Plan. The first is in innovative micro-grids and household or business solar installations. I believe that if infrastructure is available, many citizens and businesses will take advantage of the savings that solar energy, and to a lesser extent, wind energy, will have to offer. More than the standard "roads, bridges and sewers", flexible grids are the infrastructure that the provincial government should prioritize. Along the same vein of setting up a public framework, inside of which citizens take individual action, I would like to say that a carbon fee and dividend system would be superior to the cap and trade approach to pricing carbon. The audit system and constant legislative tinkering that cap and trade requires will be a burden on the system which will negate public support. I realize that "this train may have left the station", but I have strong reservations about cap and trade, and I support the simplicity and transparency of a carbon fee and dividend system.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit my thoughts. There is no more important issue in the world at this point than the creation of  sustainable societies, and energy is the biggest part of that. Jim O'Reilly

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