CPA Issues Call to Action on Ontario Natural Gas Infrastructure Expansion

On March 2, the CPA issued a call to action encouraging members to raise awareness on the subject of natural gas expansion.

In Ontario, there is currently a process underway to facilitate the large-scale expansion of natural gas infrastructure, which will be partially funded by taxpayers and existing natural gas customers. The success of this process is dependent on the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) waiving existing regulatory and financial barriers to project approvals.

Furthermore, the Ontario government has announced a program to provide energy retrofit funding to natural gas customers, excluding users of other fuels. This is another indication of the uneven playing field in the energy sector.

These programs have the potential to have a significant negative impact on the propane industry. The CPA is lobbying the government on the issues created by such programs and is an active party in hearings at the OEB. The CPA's message is starting to get through, as shown by this press release from Ontario MPP John Yakabuski.

The CPA is actively working on resolutions to these issues on the industry's behalf, but members also need to join the campaign - particularly while these programs are still in the preliminary stages. The Call to Action contained a package of documents and resources to help members understand these issues and how to raise them with political representatives and local media. The package contains: 

• MPP Letter Template
• Natural Gas Expansion Talking Points 
• Propane Industry Facts 
• Natural Gas Expansion Op-Ed 
• Home Energy Retrofit Program Press Release  

If you would like to receive the package or have any questions, please log on to The Grid or contact Peter Maddox, CPA’s Regional Manager, Ontario & Director, Marketing at 416.903.8518 or petermaddox@propane.ca.