Dear CARP Members,

As the election approaches, more Ontarians are beginning to see that there is a lot at stake, particularly when it comes to our energy future.

As the Minister of Energy for Ontario, I’ve had the opportunity to travel across this great province to see first hand the positive impact our energy investments have made. Whether I’m in Tillsonburg, Windsor, Burlington, Sault Ste. Marie or my hometown of Scarborough, the clean energy economy is growing and we are creating thousands of much-needed jobs for Ontarians.

We’ve made significant progress since our government was first elected – we’ve turned around an energy system that had been neglected by the previous government- a system that frankly was in shambles.

We knew we had to make some important investments. Since then, we have rebuilt our energy system and today it’s a more modern, clean and reliable system that we can all count on. It’s now a system that businesses can rely on to meet their needs and it’s a system that you can be assured is not harming the air you, your children and your grandchildren are breathing.

Our biggest commitment is to the health and well-being of our children, our seniors, and our future by committing to replace dirty-coal fired power generation with cleaner, healthier sources of electricity such as wind, solar and biogas. Along the way, we have built a new industry in Ontario that has revived our manufacturing economy, attracted billions of dollars of investment and has created thousands of good paying jobs.

These critical investments being made are vital to securing our energy future. To help with the costs of making these critical investments, we have taken steps to make it easier for Ontario families and seniors. The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit takes 10 percent off of electricity bills for the next 5 years.

Further to that, we have also brought in the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit which gives low- to middle-income families and single people additional relief for the sales tax on energy and for property taxes. Eligible seniors could receive up to $1,025.

Ontario is turning the corner and we are building a new clean energy economy that benefits everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone believes in an energy system that replaces dirty coal with clean sources of power while at the same time creating jobs for Ontario. Tim Hudak wants to kill renewable energy projects in Ontario and he wants to bring back dirty coal-fired generation. This reckless position will pollute the air we breathe, destroy our clean energy economy, turn away billions of dollars in investment and most importantly, put thousands of Ontario workers out of a job.

Ontario is on the right track –creating jobs and investment while we build a clean, modern energy system. Now is the time for our generation to invest in a cleaner, healthier and more prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.

The Hon. Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy

Keywords: energy