Perth Wellington provincial Liberal candidate Stewart Skinner is hopeful the next Ontario budget will include funding to expand natural gas infrastructure to un-serviced communities.
In a press release, Skinner states he is committed to creating a competitive environment for businesses across Perth-Wellington and having access to natural gas offers economic savings for businesses.
“The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has done some excellent work to demonstrate that natural gas access is a game changer for rural Ontario,” says Skinner.
“Research conducted by the OFA shows that natural gas access could reduce average rural household energy costs by more than $1,000 per year. Household energy savings, when coupled with lower costs for our rural businesses, could save rural Ontario more than $800 million annually while eliminating 600MW of electricity demand that is currently required for heating.”
Skinner believes smart public/private partnerships are a pillar for economic growth.
“Natural gas access will make rural Ontario more attractive to businesses; it will create jobs for our residents while diversifying our local economies,” says Skinner. “Our provincial government has the ability to work with natural gas providers to increase infrastructure creating a triple win situation. The province will benefit from increased growth with an increase in the market for our gas providers, and most importantly, it will give consumers and businesses choice when they look to lower energy costs.”
