Don't spend money increasing…

Don't spend money increasing access to natural gas unless it's very close to a mainline and the gas supplied is conventional, not fracked. The methane loss in fracked gas, not to mention the threat of earthquakes and water loss and contamination, make it a very bad choice. We need to be off all fossil fuels too quickly to justify any major new investments - even if it's not fracked.

Support local energy independence through renewable sources. This is the best chance for long-term prosperity in smaller and more remote communities.

Prioritize conservation and energy efficiency to the highest degree. Every kWh not used is a huge savings in cost and, in almost all scenarios, greenhouse gas emissions. Building codes should change to require new-builds to be close to energy neutral. Bigger subsidies for lower-income Canadians and penalties for higher income Canadians should be implemented to help with this.

Show people that higher electricity prices are reasonable; polluters should pay. We've got a distorted, fossil-fuel friendly market, because the cost of environmental damage has been externalized. This must end.

The pipeline principles are sound - except that no pipeline company comes close to meeting them and none could ever adequately cover the environmental costs. It's 2016. Building Energy East would mean 33 Gt CO2 per year just to mine and prepare the product, effectively wiping out Ontario's coal-fired gains. It's too late to build major new fossil fuel infrastructure. Period. Canadian business leaders, the World Bank, and many others point out the need to act swiftly on climate change. Climate leaders can't approve of new pipelines. Ontario should strenuously oppose this if the embattled NEB ever resumes its hearings. Kudos to Ontario for listening to Ontarians and being critical of Energy East.

Pursue local energy storage and smart-grid options that help get Ontario off fossil fuels.

Public ownership and engagement is needed in the transition to carbon-free fuels. Despite the political danger, science shows that we must transition. Most of the necessary technology exists. Help Ontarians reduce energy demand (public transit, bike lanes, energy retrofitting). Make Ontario a leader in the new economy by incentivizing everything that's taking us in the right direction and discouraging/pricing everything that isn't. (Support lower-income Canadians).

Wealthier Ontarians will need to pay for this transition. Don't hesitate to use fee differentials or progressive energy pricing, as well as higher taxes, to facilitate this. It's in all of our best interests.

Nuclear is vastly expensive. Use funds instead to build distributed renewable or to support communities to build and own their own.

Get the energy audit before sale program in place immediately. Subsidize the cost for the first two years to avoid backlash, but then transfer it to the seller. We'll get used to it. It's a great way to get people motivated to do something.

Set reduction targets for all fossil fuels. Force Union Gas to stop scaring customers with "your rates are going up because of the government" messages. It's exactly the wrong message. Mandate energy suppliers to carry a message about why reductions are necessary and about how the pricing reflects the damage and is meant to help consumers reduce consumption and gradually transition away from fossil fuels.

Trade cleaner energy to reduce dirtier energy. Phase out nuclear as it becomes expensive to refurbish. Divert funds to renewables. Distributed renewables are the future. Pursue a renewables-only as quickly as possible policy. We're not trying to change the world, we're now trying to save it.

Enhance the supports for Indigenous communities to lead in renewable energy generation. Look at it as reparations, a way to right past wrongs and prepare all of Ontario for the future.

If you had to install a solar hot water system to be able to have a hot shower, would you? Enact policies for Ontario to be carbon-neutral in energy by 2035. We can do it. It will change our lives. They will almost certainly be better. This is our challenge and there can be nothing that stops us!

Be bold. Be leaders.

[Original Comment ID: 204996]