NDP: Ford Conservatives must act now to avoid power emergency

QUEEN'S PARK – Ontario NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay-Superior North) is calling on the Ford Government to respond to the threat of increasing power outages over the summer. As temperatures increase, so does the use of air conditioning, putting increased pressure on the power grid.

According to the Annual Summer Reliability Assessment report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, "Ontario has entered a period during which generation and transmission outages will be increasingly difficult to accommodate. The IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator) strongly encourages market participants to plan ahead and coordinate with IESO to ensure planned outages are appropriately scheduled."

"We are already experiencing extreme heat and dealing with poor air quality as the number of forest fires across Canada grows," said Vaugeois. "Schools are keeping children indoors with the windows closed because of the risks of smoke inhalation. These conditions inevitably lead to increased demands on air conditioning and air filtration – where it's available – making power outages over the summer a distinct possibility. This puts all of us at risk, but will be particularly dangerous for seniors and people in hospitals and nursing homes.

When the Ford government came into power, they tore up 700 renewable energy contracts, pulled out Electric Vehicle chargers and left us 50 fire crews short. Ford's questionable actions have left Ontarians ill-prepared for these extreme conditions that have become too common."

Lise Vaugeois and the Ontario NDP are imploring Ford’s Conservatives government to pre-emptively address the risks of power outages. The climate crisis is upon us now and requires immediate action from the Ford government.