December 19, 2007 - TORONTO - The Association of Major Power Consumers of Ontario today released Conservation through Dialogue and Design, a report that recommends changes in government policy, regulation and incentives to unlock the significant potential of Ontario’s business consumers to help achieve the McGuinty government’s ambitious energy conservation targets.  The report has been submitted to the Conservation Fund of the Ontario Power Authority, which contributed funding and staff expertise toward the research.

“There are abundant un-tapped opportunities for improved energy efficiency and conservation within Ontario businesses,” says Adam White, Executive Director of AMPCO.  “Changes are needed to create the right conditions for businesses to realize the potential of energy conservation.  However, these changes can be implemented more quickly and at lower cost than the alternative of increasing energy supply.”

The report concludes that while major energy consumers already pursue energy efficiency goals, competitive pressures discourage investments that involve undue risk, or high capital investments that offer low rates of return and long pay-back periods.

AMPCO recommends that:

·          Direct economic incentives be used to achieve significant improvements in energy efficiency and conservation;

·          Energy customers should be provided with streamlined access to practical information on best practices, programs and resources;

·          Programs that promote small and short term energy savings will help create momentum for effective energy conservation over time; and,

·          Consumer-designed initiatives can achieve more than general initiatives by third-parties, such as energy utilities.

“Success should be measured by Ontario’s ability to save the most energy at the lowest overall cost,” said White.  “Direct incentives that help business consumers conserve energy will be more cost-effective than high-level, mass-market approaches.”

AMPCO is a not-for-profit consumer interest advocacy organization that promotes improved competitiveness for Ontario industry through reliable supplies of electricity at affordable rates. AMPCO members employ over 50,000 Ontarians across a wide range of resource, manufacturing and processing industries that use very large amounts of electrical energy. As a group, AMPCO's 57 members consume more than $1 billion worth of electricity each year, representing 14 per cent of Ontario's total electrical demand and half of its total industrial demand.

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AMPCO's Conservation through Dialogue and Design report is available here.

For further information: Adam White, President, AMPCO, Cell: (416) 999-5781