Kincardine council

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Bryan Walden

Bryan Walden wants Kincardine council to find out what has to be done to bring a natural gas line or other alternative energy sources into Kincardine.

In committee-of-the-whole last night (June 9), the Kincardine businessman said electricity rates are expected to increase by up to 10 per cent this year. Given time-of-use billing, that could double the cost of electricity for area residents.

"For example," he said, "if your electric bill is $1,000 per year, it could easily rise to $2,000 per year."

If there are about 10,000 homes and businesses in Kincardine, Ripley, Tiverton, Lucknow and Point Clark, and 40 per cent of the homes could switch to natural gas for home heating and hot water, that would be 4,000 units, said Walden.

"If each of these buildings saved $1,000 per year by changing to a new energy source, then the total annual savings would be $4 million."

If natural gas had been offered in this area 10 years ago, he said, that would have been a savings of $40 million. With time-of-use billing, the savings could double over the next 10 years to $80 million.

"In addition, I believe that there should be an investigation to see if there are any other energy sources available to assist people in reducing their energy usage and/or costs," Walden said.

He asked council to research what has to be done to bring natural gas to the area, and research the availability of other alternative energy sources.

Walden said natural gas is available all around Kincardine - in Port Elgin, Southampton, Walkerton and Goderich. "We shouldn't be left out because we're the last one standing," he said. "Council should research this so area residents have an alternative energy source to cut costs and save money."

Mayor Larry Kraemer said Kincardine has tried several times to attract a natural gas line to the municipality, but to no avail.

He has met with the minister of energy and the gas company (Union Gas) and they keep saying the capital costs are about $20 million to come to Kincardine. "How do we counter that argument?" he asked.

Walden said it's a false argument. "The provincial and federal governments have a responsibility to serve all businesses, including those in Kincardine, Ripley and Lucknow."

He said, with his own business, he provides cable service to areas, sometimes at a subsidized rate. "The gas companies make a lot of money and should be investing it into other areas. They should get in here and serve us."

The governments regulate the gas companies, said Walden, and should force them to supply natural gas to all areas. "And the companies should do it just because it's the right thing to do."

Deputy mayor Laura Haight said the lack of a natural gas line is a barrier for development in the Bruce Energy Centre, but she said, in all fairness to gas companies, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), which regulates the gas companies, said not to service Kincardine.

"The last time we had discussions was about 12 years ago," she said. "We could try again and get talking with the OEB and our Huron-Bruce MPP."

Councillor Guy Anderson said that back in the 1990s, people in Kincardine were told natural gas was coming here. "At the time, it needed a big anchor, well, it could have it now with Bruce Power and the Bruce Energy Centre. Our MPP Carol Mitchell said a couple of years ago that the government was working on it. We should look into it and see what's happening."

"The gas companies have an obligation to service on behalf of the OEB," said Walden. "They should be forced to look at these areas."

Councillor Ron Hewitt suggested council consider a meeting with Mitchell and the energy minister during the next Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in August. "We've pushed hard and been told no; it can' t hurt to try again."

Haight said the economic development committee should look at the regulation regime and see if the barriers still exist, the same as they did in the 1990s.

Kraemer will also discuss the idea with Huron-Kinloss mayor Mitch Twolan at the Bruce County council meeting.

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Wednesday, June 09, 2010