Ontario Energy Association Releases Blueprint for Energy Policy

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 9, 2011) - The Ontario Energy Association (OEA) today released its policy paper, A Blueprint for Energy Policy in Ontario. The Blueprint is the OEA's recommended long-term energy policy for all political parties in the run-up to the Ontario election in the fall.

"Energy drives Ontario's economy, society and way of life, and the goal of energy policy must be to promote a reliable, sustainable energy system," says OEA President and CEO Elise Herzig. "Individual energy projects can take many years to complete, and the system needs to balance short- and long-term requirements. The Blueprint offers clear, succinct recommendations that we believe are the basis for energy policy that will meet our evolving economic, social and environmental needs."

OEA members are concerned that policy shifts over the past decades have contributed to an unstable climate for the energy sector to invest and build in Ontario. To ensure stability, government must adhere to its long-term goals and priorities, and let the energy sector implement them. Changes in government policy require fact-based evidence that support the shift in direction.

"The OEA and the Blueprint are politically non-partisan," says Herzig. "Government policy goals must be clear and consistent so that the energy sector can do what it is here to do – provide the essential services that keep our economy running. We hope that all parties will find it useful, and that it helps frame and contribute to public debate about energy issues as the election approaches."

The Blueprint is available on the OEA website – www.energyontario.ca.

The OEA has more than 150 corporate members representing the full diversity of the energy industry in Ontario – power producers, firms that transport, transmit and deliver natural gas and electricity, energy marketers and retailers, manufacturers, contractors, service providers, and energy consultants.

Note to media: To arrange an interview, please contact John McGrath, Director, Communications Policy at Elenchus, (416) 998-6570.