Ontario Energy Association (OEA) Supports Government of Ontario’s Connecting Housing Plan
October 22, 2024
The Ontario Energy Association (OEA) supports the Government of Ontario’s direction to connect housing more quickly. “The government’s plan to reduce barriers to connecting new housing to the electricity grid will help reduce costs for new homeowners, renters and businesses” said Vince Brescia, President and CEO of the Ontario Energy Association. “The government’s proposals will help make new housing more affordable and ensure businesses can get quick and affordable access to electricity”.
In a statement released on Monday morning, Minister of Energy and Electrification Stephen Lecce said the government intends to introduce changes to the Ontario Energy Board Act. 1998 for enhanced to regulation making authority. In addition, Minister Lecce has instructed the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to implement all the recommendations in its Housing Connection Report.
The recommendations include:
- Amending the Distribution System Code (DSC) to extend the revenue horizon for connecting residential developments from 25 years up to 40 years, allowing the costs of new infrastructure that will serve this province for generations to be spread over a longer period.
- Amending the DSC to provide clarity regarding the conditions under which a local distribution company should extend the connection horizon for new developments.
- Establishing a new capacity allocation model that considers multi customer, multi-year projects.
The government of Ontario has established a goal of building 1.5 million additional homes in Ontario by 2031. “The OEA and its members look forward to working collaboratively with both Minister Lecce and the OEB in ensuring that these new measures are implemented efficiently,” said Mr. Brescia.
