Comments on: ‘Unprecedented’ Bill to Overrule Ontario Gas Regulator Alarms Experts

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 20:06:24 +0000

By the way, I tried to include a link to Enbridge’s page that explains how the costs are shared for “community expansion projects”, but that caused my comment to be rejected (ostensibly because it was a duplicate, which it obviously wasn’t). I’ll try again here: https://www.enbridgegas.com/residential/new-customers/community-expansion

By: Guy Hanchet

Guy Hanchet — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:23:06 +0000

Bill 165 will encourage the building of infrastructure that will only be paid for after 40 years. The pipes installed today will still be delivering methane gas that is driving climate chaos for another 40 years. That means that in 2064, 14 years after the world is striving to achieve net-zero emissions we will still be burning methane to heat our homes. How can we be so foolish? Especially when the alternative recommended by the OEB is less expensive and cleaner.
Who stands to gain from Bill 165? Only Enbridge. Anybody else? Certainly not my grandchildren who will have to live with our failure to control climate change long after I’m gone.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 08:12:38 +0000

In reply to Lynn Ovenden.

Even if the connection costs are paid only by purchasers of new homes, I wonder how much existing gas customers would be affected indirectly. In addition to the risk of having to pay for stranded assets in the future, existing customers share the costs of expansion projects (https://www.enbridgegas.com/residential/new-customers/community-expansion). Wouldn’t a reduction in new gas connections results in less expansion of gas distribution systems?

By: Christopher Bonasia

Christopher Bonasia — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 14:58:25 +0000

In reply to Lynn Ovenden. Hi Lynn, The effect will only be for buyers of newly built homes and will not affect current homeowners. In its decision, OEB writes that "Projects that are connecting to the gas system in 2024 will not be affected by the change to the revenue horizon. The new revenue horizon will apply to any proposed project that will be connecting to the gas system after December 31, 2024."

By: Mitchell Beer

Mitchell Beer — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 14:47:40 +0000

In reply to Lynn Ovenden. That's a really good question, Lynn, thanks. I think the impact is on the initial buyers, but then whatever they pay would get baked into future purchase and sale prices.

By: Lynn Ovenden

Lynn Ovenden — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 14:20:30 +0000

In stories about Bill 165 and the OEB’s decision to “shift the financial burden for installing new gas connections to developers rather than homeowners”, which “homeowners” are we talking about? the owners of the new homes or all homeowners (ratepayers) in Ontario who get their gas from Enbridge?