Chamber Reacts to Ontario’s Plan to Address Long-Term Electricity Needs

(Toronto – October 7, 2022) – Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released the following statement as the Government of Ontario directed the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to acquire 4,000 MW of new electricity generation and storage in response to the IESO’s Resource Eligibility Interim Report:

“Long-term planning is necessary to meet Ontario’s future energy needs as the province faces a period of widening electricity shortfalls for the first time in over a decade,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, OCC. “The government and the IESO are taking a prudent approach by procuring a diverse portfolio of non-emitting resources, with limited natural gas to ensure system reliability over the short-term.”

“Demand for electricity will continue to rise with population growth and electrification. With a competitive plan in place, Ontario can attract new investments in sustainable, affordable generation and storage assets that will underpin business confidence and economic growth in this province for decades to come,” said Claudia Dessanti, Chair of the OCC’s Energy Policy Council.

For more details, see OCC’s Policy Primer, Addressing Ontario’s Growing Electricity Needs, released earlier this year.

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

For more information, please contact:
Alissa Reid
Coordinator, Public Affairs
alissareid@occ.ca  Mobile: (705) 205-1434