QUEST Canada applauds inclusion of local energy planning in Ontario Electrification and Energy Transition panel’s final report

The Ontario Electrification and Energy Transition panel’s final report released Friday, January 19, can help achieve collaborative and integrated community energy transition across Ontario, if key recommendations are followed.

The final report outlines the framework for Ontario’s path toward developing a prosperous clean energy economy. It recognizes the work already underway, and recommends a series of actions to help align government, economic and social forces for long-term success in a rapidly changing world.

“Acknowledging the need for a strengthened framework for local energy planning and decision-making, and taking steps to facilitate its implementation, is a critical recommendation,” says QUEST Canada Executive Director, Tonja Leach. “Ensuring municipalities are actively involved and adequately supported in the energy transition is vital for realizing our goal of a sustainable energy future.”

Key takeaways QUEST Canada recommended and is pleased to see outlined in the panel’s final report, are those stemming from our Net-Zero Communities Accelerator Program and Energy Transition Policy Program. Those focused on achieving sustained pragmatic government, energy sector and community supported energy transition:

• Ensuring effective collaboration and integration in energy planning across fuels, especially electricity and natural gas, across end use sectors and across levels of government, to ensure investments and innovation can be deployed in a way that unlocks their full value.

• Building and maintaining public support for electrification and the energy transition, with a principled pragmatic approach, grounded in cost-effectiveness and solutions tailored to the specific, often local needs and circumstances of people as customers, citizens and community members.

“Most importantly, Ontarians need to be able to see themselves and their community in the province’s clean energy economy vision,” Tonja concludes. “To succeed, governments and the energy sector must play important, active roles in supporting and working collaboratively with customers and communities in this process.”

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For more on QUEST Canada’s Net-Zero Communities Accelerator (NCA) Program, please visit https://questcanada.org/nca. 

For more on our Energy Transition Policy Program (ETPP), please visit https://questcanada.org/get-involved.

About QUEST Canada

QUEST Canada is a registered Canadian charity that supports communities in Canada on their pathway to net-zero. Since 2007, we’ve been facilitating connections, empowering community champions and advising decision-makers to implement efficient and integrated energy systems that best meet community needs and maximize local opportunities. We develop tools and resources, convene stakeholders and rights holders, and advise decision-makers — all with the goal of encouraging, assisting and enabling communities to contribute to Canada’s net-zero goals.

About the Electrification and Energy Transition Panel

The Government of Ontario established the Electrification and Energy Transition Panel in April 2022 to advise government on opportunities for the energy sector to help Ontario’s economy prepare for electrification and the energy transition, and to identify strategic opportunities and planning reforms to support emerging electricity and fuels planning needs. 

Media Contact

To set up an interview, please contact:

Donald Wiedman
Senior Lead, Communications, QUEST Canada
t: 866-494-2770 ext. 702
e: [email protected]