Most business owners complain about the high cost of electricity in a province with abundant energy production capacity. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has just recently released a report that echoes these concerns and calls upon the Ontario Government to come up with a plan to combat rising energy costs. The report is the product of a year-long research and consultative process with over 100 energy experts, businesses government agencies.
The report is accompanied by public opinion research from Leger, which cautions that soaring electricity prices have reached a crisis point for Ontario businesses and consumers. The research finds that 81 percent of Ontarians are concerned that rising electricity prices will impact the health of the Ontario economy and the same percentage fear that rising electricity prices will impact their disposable income. These numbers rise to over 90 percent in northern Ontario.
Debbie McKague, Chair of the Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce stated the following in their recent press release.
Summer is heating up and so is the price of electricity. The price of electricity in Ontario is set to rise over the next two decades, adding to the cost of doing business in the province. If something is not done now to mitigate these increases, businesses will leave the province, jobs will be lost, and our economy will suffer.
Rising electricity costs are a real concern to our Chamber members as well as the broader community. It impacts on local business sectors including manufacturing, retail and the service industry. Whether running an office, plant, store or simply turning your lights on at home – these rising energy costs are unsustainable. With no end in sight – the rising cost of energy impacts on our ability to compete locally, in Canada and around the world. Our Chamber encourages the province to study this report and work with key stakeholders including the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to address this issue.
The full report can be found at: Empowering Ontario_Owen Sound.pdf
Is your business being affected by high electricity costs? Tell us your story and what actions you think should be taken to solve the problem.
