Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation Officer Calls for All Municipalities To Appoint Local Energy Conservation Officers

OTTAWA, Aug. 21, 2007 -- Canada NewsWire

Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation Officer, Peter Love, today called on Ontario's municipalities to appoint local energy conservation officers to help him create a "culture of conservation" throughout the province.

Speaking at the Association of Municipalities (AMO) annual conference, Love told delegates that "energy conservation is critical to the future of our electricity system and to the future of Ontario's children." The Integrated Power System Plan now being readied by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) for review by the Ontario Energy Board will seek to save 6,300 MW by 2025 with several interim energy savings goals that must be met.

"To achieve this ambitious target, everyone has to contribute: consumers, businesses, and governments at all levels," said Love. "The OPA is running and actively introducing innovative new programs to support energy conservation. Now we need local communities onboard, and that is why I am calling on all municipalities across Ontario to appoint their own energy conservation officers."

Love told senior elected and administrative officials at a session on Energy Conservation in Ontario that it's time for everyone in the province to, "Think. Believe. Act." when it comes to energy conservation. These three key theme words underlie a new video premiered at the AMO conference featuring Love and addressing the needs and opportunities for conservation in Ontario.

Where municipalities are concerned, appointing a local energy conservation officer is pivotal, said Love, noting that it's for each community to determine who that person should be. "The key thing is to break down the silos and unify energy conservation efforts," says Love. "I encourage those who have been placed in this role already or who are appointed as a result of this call to action to contact me. Let's work together to save energy, improve our environment and build a better future for our children."

To get more information about the local energy conservation officer concept or to submit the names of appointees, contact the Chief Energy Conservation Officer at: ceco@conservationbureau.on.ca. For other contact options and/or information about conservation, visit the Conservation Bureau website at: www.conservationbureau.on.ca.

The Chief Energy Conservation Officer and Conservation Bureau are part of the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), which was established by The Electricity Restructuring Act, 2004 to plan Ontario's new power system, to acquire new sources of power, and to promote a culture of conservation throughout the province.

SOURCE: Ontario Power Authority

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