The owners of newly built homes shouldn’t be automatically committed long-term to natural gas heating, greatly lessening the potential early use of emission-free heating systems, agree most members of city council.
In a split vote on Tuesday, council endorsed a motion of support for a recent Ontario Energy Board (OEB) decision to end the practice that saw the cost for individual connections amortized over 40 years, with the up-front costs covered by existing customers.
“We have a community energy plan that wants us to move forward on the energy transition,” said Coun. Leanne Caron, referring to council’s expressed desire for the community to have net-zero emissions by 2050. “We have all the key ingredients in place.”
Caron brought the motion of OEB support forward for council’s consideration.
“Heat pumps are the solution … (they) can be installed without multi-million dollar infrastructure,” she continued, noting the pumps reduce monthly spending and lessen impacts on the environment.
The OEB decision, handed down in December, is currently under appeal by natural gas company Enbridge, which supplies most homes in Ontario. Prior to that appeal being filed, provincial government officials announced plans to overturn the decision via legislation.
Enbridge and the provincial government contend the board’s decision will result in higher up-front costs for new homebuyers.
“This is being framed as housing versus the environment,” said Caron. “There is nothing to support the statement that this (OEB ruling) is going to impact housing starts.”
She noted society is currently in its fifth heating source shift in less than 100 years – from wood stoves to coal heating, then coal gas, followed by oil, natural gas and now heat pumps.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, several delegates urged council to stand behind the OEB decision.
“I do not want my money going to this expansion and I know many others who do not,” Samantha Hicks told council. “By relying on fossil fuel infrastructure it robs us of the opportunity to create the sustainable energy system that we want.”
“Imposing new natural gas infrastructure would be pointless and counter-productive to a green energy transition,” said Grade 11 student Abigale Walton.
“If it is allowed to continue, we will be living with the results of this mistake for generations to come,” added fellow student Indigo Moran.
Council’s motion of support for the OEB decision passed in an 8-4 vote.
Joining Mayor Cam Guthrie in opposition were councillors Dan Gibson, Ken Ye Chew and Christine Billings.
Guthrie said he wasn’t comfortable voting in support of the motion given that the OEB decision is currently under appeal.
“I agree that the political interference shouldn’t have been tabled,” he said of the government legislative response to the OEB ruling, which has received initial approval and been sent to committee for consideration before it is returned to Queen’s Park for a final vote.
“The province interfering with a regulatory board decision is bad policy,” noted Coun. Erin Caton. “If we want to protect the planet and our health, we need to support policies that meet those goals.”
Several other municipalities have approved similar motions, including Hamilton. The Guelph motion is modelled after the Hamilton one.
Coun. Dominique O’Rourke was absent from council’s Tuesday meeting.
