Premier Ford’s office avoids questions after Ontario signs deal to import U.S. electricity

Premier Doug Ford’s office is declining any comment, following news that Ontario getting ready for the winter seemingly outweighs any trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump.

It turns out that Ontario is buying electricity from the U.S. for the winter ahead, even as Ford threatens to cut off Ontario electricity to the U.S.

It is a question of preventing any blackouts or brownouts this winter, despite the province’s relations with the U.S. president.

Over a year ago, after the U.S. trade war broke out, Ford said, “if necessary, if the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely.”

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Earlier this summer in Hamilton, Ford said, “I think we start off with a surcharge — if it escalates we have to use every tool in our toolbox.”

But now, Ontario has signed a contract to buy electricity from New York state through the winter.

“It’s very ironical,” said Jack Gibbons, with the Ontario Clean Air Alliance. “For months, Doug Ford has been threatening to cut off our electricity exports to the United States, but in fact he just recently contracted to import dirty American electricity to keep our lights on this winter.”

With the Pickering nuclear power plant being refurbished, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) says the American power will compensate for downtime while it’s maintained.

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Critics call it “dirty” electricity from polluting oil-fired generation.

Last year, Ontario’s electricity system operator contracted with a company that generates electricity in the northeastern U.S., including Oswego, New York.

Experts in power policy say Canada and the U.S. are tied together, despite any political disagreements in a North American grid as seen on a map from America’s Congressional Budget Office in green, and it’s worked so far.

“It does rely on goodwill and it does rely on mutual trust.,” said Warren Mabee, a professor at Queen’s University of policy studies. “ I hope we’re not at a point where that trust has been fully destroyed. As I say, I think the energy sector, the electricity sector, has been very used to working across the border.”

Ford’s stand on power exports could backfire.

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“Doug Ford’s been threatening the U.S. to cut off our electricity exports, but that’s a very dangerous game to play, because we’re very vulnerable to the United States because of our dependence on gas and electricity imports,” said Gibbons.

They say the long-term answer is to develop clean made-in-Canada energy, like wind, solar, and hydroelectricity, while the IESO acts on its own, even if it’s embarrassing for Ford.

“I think, given that their name is ‘independent’ in the first word of their name, means that the government is not supposed to interfere,” said political commentator Keith Leslie. “They’re supposed to go out there and get electricity contracts when and where needed.”

The premier’s office referred any questions made Thursday to the electricity system operator.

It says Ontario currently imports less electricity from the U.S. than it has over most of the last twenty years, and it’s preparing for a higher peak demand this winter.

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