ABSTRACT

Community energy planning (CEP) is a strategy to help offset the inequitable implications of low carbon transition policies. This chapter discusses the potential of CEP in Ontario. In Ontario, Canada, the impact of low-carbon transition policies on low-income households illustrates how greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction initiatives can sometimes inadvertently propagate social injustices. As part of an initiative to improve the health of its residents and reduce its contribution to global GHG emissions, in 2003 Ontario committed to completely phasing out coal as a method of electricity generation in the province. With Ontario’s electricity rates unlikely to decrease, several Ontario municipalities have begun developing community energy plans as a means of better managing energy use. As energy prices continue to rise, it is likely that the percentage of households threatened by energy poverty will increase proportionally. A 2016 report by the Fraser Institute highlighted that as of 2013 the number of Ontario households facing energy poverty hovers around 7.5%.