Local climate change advocacy group eMERGE will be attending a hearing to support the city in negotiating a fee for use of Guelph land by Enbridge Gas.
This comes after Enbridge tried to shut out eMERGE, encouraging the Ontario Energy Board to deny their intervenor status, submitting two letters insisting the group has no substantial interest or authority to speak for residents.
But the community banded together, sending hundreds of letters in support of eMERGE attending, and the OEB granted intervenor status to the organization.
“The OEB finds that the Letters of Comment, the majority of which were provided by City of Guelph residents, confirm that eMERGE Guelph does represent the interests of certain local residents in this proceeding,” the procedural order states.
“The OEB is therefore satisfied that eMERGE Guelph has a substantial interest in the outcome of this proceeding and accepts eMERGE Guelph as an intervenor.”
Along with the approval, eMERGE was given the opportunity to apply for an award of costs.
Enbridge also encouraged the OEB to limit the City of Guelph’s intervenor status, suggesting the scope of the hearing should be limited to the renewal. The city's intervenor status was likewise approved.
While the OEB “reminded” the city and eMERGE that it’s not a generic hearing, and the scope will be focused on the request for a new certificate for the City of Guelph and a renewed franchise agreement with Enbridge, it did say it would consider whether there were “compelling reasons to deviate” from the 20-year franchise agreement, which is set to expire this spring.
In the fall, the City of Guelph called on the province to allow municipalities to charge for-profit gas utility companies fees for the use of public lands, something done in provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Enbridge wants to renew the agreement unchanged, and so the Ontario Energy Board was brought in to make the final decision, at a hearing to be held at a later date.
The procedural order, dated March 13, noted the OEB is separately considering whether there is a need for a review of generic issues related to the model franchise agreement Enbridge has with municipalities across the province.
No date has been set yet for the hearing.