Government should subsidize clean energy instead

Re Is natural gas the saviour for rural Ontarians struggling with steep hydro bills? Oct. 8 The province is proposing to provide $230 million in subsidies to provide “cheap” natural gas to rural Ontario. Today, only 10 per cent of our electric grid is supplied from fossil fuels.

On the one hand, the province introduces cap-and-trade to reduce our carbon emissions, which will raise the price of natural gas.

And on the other hand, we subsidize the expansion of the gas network, which will ensure higher emissions.

Since we are doing a subsidy anyway, wouldn’t we be better to subsidize the clean electricity and invest in efficient technologies like heat pumps?

The days of subsidizing fossil fuels must end. Glen Estill, Lion’s Head, Ont.