When the Star’s climate change reporter Marco Chown Oved reported that Ontario has
signed a 600-megawatt contract to import electricity from New York state this winter, only weeks after Premier Doug Ford threatened to cut off power exports to the U.S., readers had plenty to say.
The deal, which starts Nov. 1, comes as the Pickering nuclear plant is offline for a multi-year refurbishment. Many readers questioned the planning behind it, while others debated which energy sources Ontario should rely on. Here’s what you had to say:
These comments have been edited for clarity and length.
A failure of planning?
“For years we were told Ontario had a comfortable surplus. Now we’re officially operating without one and relying on external supply during peak season. That’s not ‘normal grid management’. That’s a sign of policy failure. This isn’t a minor operational detail — it’s a strategic vulnerability. Ontario needs a serious, long‑term energy plan, not short-term improvisation.”
— Ma
“Initially it just looks like hypocrisy, but moments later it becomes obvious that there has been a massive failure in planning to handle the Pickering shutdown, and indeed a failure to invest in our electricity infrastructure over the longer term. The now planned SMRs are way too late. Ford gets to wear this mess and it’s no good blaming it on private electricity companies because it is his party, both under him and Mike Harris that privatized the system.”
— Chris
Politics and promises
“I get that our hydro systems are intertwined. Sharing with your trusted neighbour is productive for both sides. We now know how that has changed. But the huffing and puffing by the premier is all show. Add to the fact the short-sighted costly cancellation of green energy will provide further pain to taxpayers. Gutting Ontario’s green energy was not based on fact-based analysis. It was based on populism and ideology. The rhetoric of that day got Ford elected. Responsible governance would have fixed the flaws in the program instead of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. A malpractice that has been repeated with the Beer Store contract, speed cameras and bike lanes just to name a few.”
— StevenW
“This is a complete reversal of the former position of the PC government! Why are we not purchasing additional energy from Canadian sources? Ford is losing my vote next time around because he is showing that he cannot follow through on the federal government’s direction of keeping things domestic as possible.”
— Darlene
