The Ontario Chamber of Commerce is calling on the provincial government to take immediate action on rising electricity costs.
A new Chamber report makes five recommendations that government and energy agencies should take to curb costs and help protect businesses.
Suggestions include keeping the Debt Retirement Charge on residential bills until it has been retired, spreading the burden of past government decisions across ratepayers and publishing average electricity rates and disclosing the costs of investments.
The Chamber says there’s currently a major lack of transparency, keeping ratepayers in the dark.
The report also urges the government import hydroelectric power from Quebec to replace nuclear generation and recommends the cancelling of feed-in tariff contracts.
The organization stresses the price of electricity is undermining their members’ capacity to grow, hire new workers, and attract investment.
Research finds 90% of northern Ontario residents are concerned that rising electricity costs will impact the health of the Ontario economy and the same percentage fear prices will impact their disposable income.
The numbers were 81% in all of Ontario.
