Mover: Councillor Olson
Seconder: Mayor Junkin
WHEREAS residents of the Town of Pelham and other Ontario municipalities are struggling with rising energy costs;
AND WHEREAS natural gas is no longer the only desirable way to heat homes because of innovations in electric heat pumps which can provide all heating needs even in cold climates, and result in competitive energy bills relative to gas heating;
AND WHEREAS natural gas is a fossil fuel that contributes to Ontario’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and should be phased out over time when possible and practical, while heat pumps currently result in the lower GHG emissions and are consistent with a zero-carbon future;
AND WHEREAS on December 21, 2023, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) released a decision that eliminated a subsidy for the installation of gas pipelines in new construction developments as of January 1, 2025, finding that this would lower energy bills for existing gas customers and improve affordability for new homebuyers;
AND WHEREAS on February 22, 2024, the provincial government introduced Bill 165 which, if passed, will effectively overturn the OEB decision;
AND WHEREAS the OEB decision will help lower energy bills and encourage heating systems that are consistent with climate targets and plans;
AND WHEREAS the construction of new methane gas pipelines, which have 60-year lifetimes, should not be subsidized because they are inconsistent with the City’s climate targets and will result in higher carbon emissions, higher energy bills, higher future decarbonization retrofit costs to get off fossil fuel heating;
AND WHEREAS the Town of Pelham supports the decarbonization of heating and cooling systems in existing and future building stock within the community;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council endorses and supports the OEB decision to end the gas pipeline subsidy, opposes the provisions of Bill 165 that would effectively reverse the OEB decision, and calls on the Honourable T. Smith, Minister of Energy, and the Government of Ontario, to rescind or amend Bill 165 accordingly;
THAT this resolution be circulated to the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford; Minister of Energy, Todd Smith; Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy; MPP, Sam Oosterhoff, the President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Colin Best; and Local Area Municipalities.