UPDATED - ON: Small win for the propane industry - OEB accepts one CPA recommendation for natural gas expansion projects

On March 5, 2020 the Ontario Energy Board issued its final guidelines regarding proposed new natural gas expansion projects in the province.

The CPA, through its legal counsel, Mike Richmond of McMillan Vantage LLP, had submitted 19 pages of detailed commentary, including 18 recommendations, to inform OEB decision-making on developing the guidelines.

The board only accepted one of the CPA’s recommendations that will be applied to all forthcoming projects:

• In calculating estimated annual household energy savings, [the project] must include conversion costs, commodity costs, upstream transportation costs, and carbon emission costs, and must disclose the major assumptions behind their conversion cost estimates.

While the acceptance of the one recommendation is a win for the propane industry, the board’s decision ultimately aligned with government policy to advance natural gas expansion projects in Ontario communities. The CPA continues to press Ontario government representatives for a level playing field for propane at every opportunity. For more information, please contact Government Relations Director, Ontario, Marcelline Riddell at marcellineriddell@propane.ca.