Hydro “savings’ will cost us

RE: This hydro bill relief will come as a shock (May 29)

Fed up and feeling shafted, consumers can’t be blamed for tolerating a dystopian scheme from the Fair Hydro Plan that offers a reduction in their hydro bills. The government, by borrowing heavily to lower energy bills now, is creating a pig in a poke that will come back to savagely bite consumers with much higher costs in a few years, especially as interest rates rise.

Surely in this province with more than 123,000 public servants on the Sunshine List, there must be capacity for some intelligent attempts at solutions. For example, Ontario’s surplus power is sold to the U.S. at a loss. That’s not smart. Obviously that needs to stop.

Some have proposed the government simply default on the massive debt and negotiate a settlement. It’s an inspired thought, but it seems quite unlikely.

The Ontario Clean Air Alliance recommends the government cancel the $13 billion refurbishment (realistically as much as $32 billion when complete) of the Darlington nuclear f acility, and immediately begin to decommission the out of date Pickering facility too. The OCAA proposes purchasing significantly cheaper hydroelectric power from Quebec. That makes good sense but the government appears to be resisting.

It’s time for our stewards — our politicians — to stop playing fast and loose with reckless and irresponsible schemes that appear to be timed to court voters for the next election. And no one should ever be faced with the choice of buying food or keeping lights and heat on. James Newman, Hamilton