In my capacity as the…

In my capacity as the Manager, Economic Development Services for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, I wish to strongly express my support for the Natural Gas energy system in Ontario.
We regularly experience that in addition to sufficient electrical supply, access to Natural Gas is a key deciding factor for businesses and residential home builders looking to invest in our Municipality. Insufficient Natural Gas availability would reduce the competitiveness of our sites, there by hindering local economic growth and employment prospects.
They key benefits of our Natural Gas Energy system are affordability and resiliency, both of which are of the utmost importance to all consumers, but particularly to industrial consumers who use approximately 80% of the volume, while only paying 20% of the costs. Should residential and business customers not have access to this energy system, a larger share would be allocated to industrial clients who would then be forced to pass this on to their customers and supply chains. These higher prices would render our region less competitive by putting everyone at an economic disadvantage.
The existing underground Natural Gas infrastructure also ensures resiliency by not being subject to increasingly volatile weather events, while also avoiding the extremely high cost of trying to bury electrical assets.
To keep up with the future energy demands required by economic growth, it is imperative that we have a cost effective, resilient and inclusive mix of available energy options available, to ensure we are competitive and able to prosper. To restrict the growth, expansion and availability of any one of our existing energy systems, would mean settling for reduced growth, but specifically to our Natural Gas system, lack of access would equate to overall higher costs to our entire economy and ensure that Ontario is not a consideration for major business investment in the future!
Thank you very much!