Ministry of Energy (Ontario)
{{Third party|date= January 2025}}
{{Short description|Canadian provincial government ministry}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name = Ministry of Energy and Electrification
| type = Ministry
| nativename = {{native name|fr|Ministère de l’Énergie}}
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| formed = 2002
| preceding1 = Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology
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| jurisdiction = Government of Ontario
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| minister1_name = Hon. Stephen Lecce
| minister1_pfo = Minister of Energy and Electrification
| minister2_name = Dave Smith
| minister2_pfo = Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines with responsibility for Energy
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The Ministry of Energy and Electrification’s responsibility is ensuring that Ontario's electricity system functions with reliability and productivity, and promoting innovation in the energy sector. In April 2002, it was renamed the Ministry of Energy, with the newly created Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation taking over responsibility for its science and technology portfolio."Eves' picks raise fears of deficits, Tories say". National Post, 16 April 2002. It was integrated as the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure between 2007 and 2010, before it was split back into the Ministry of Energy on August 18, 2010. Since June 6, 2024, The Minister of Energy is the Honourable Stephen Lecce.
In 2021, the Ministry of Energy again became a separate ministry when the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines merged with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to form the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministries|access-date=2021-06-20|website=www.ontario.ca|title=Ministries }}
Responsibilities
Several agencies and crown corporations are under the Ministry:
- Hydro One 1999–present; created from the breakup of Ontario Hydro
- Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) 1998–present; created from the breakup of Ontario Hydro
- Ontario Power Authority 2004–2015; now merged with IESO; created from the breakup of Ontario Hydro
- Ontario Energy Board 1999–present; created from the breakup of Ontario Hydro
- Ontario Power Generation (OPG) 1999–present; created from the breakup of Ontario Hydro
From 1974 to 1999 Ontario Hydro reported to the Minister, but the public utility was broken up into various agencies and crown corporations. Prior to 1974 Ontario Hydro reported to Commissioners appointed by the Premier and a few were Ministers without Portfolio.
The Commission was headed by a Chairman:
- Sir Adam Beck 1906–1925 -referred to as Minister of Power
- John Robert Cooke 1931–1934
- Robert H. Saunders 1948–1953
- George E Gathercole 1962–1974
History
The Department of Energy Resources was established by legislation in 1959.Department of Energy Resources Act, Statutes of Ontario 1959, Chap. 26 The Ontario Fuel Board was also attached to the department until 1960. When the board was dissolved in 1960, its administrative functions were assumed by the department, while its judicial functions were taken over by the Ontario Energy Board.
In 1964, the department acquired responsibility over the conservation authorities from the Department of Lands and Forests, and was renamed the Department of Energy and Resources Management.
In 1970, the energy responsibilities of the department, including the Ontario Energy Board, were removed and transferred to the Department of Mines and Northern Affairs. The remaining responsibilities over conservation, air management and waste manager form the new Department of the Environment in 1971.
In 1973, the Ministry of Energy was re-established,The Ministry of Energy Act, Statutes of Ontario 1973, Chap. 56 assuming responsibilities over energy policy; energy conservation and planning; and energy technology development. Agencies which reported to the ministry included the Ontario Energy Board, the Ontario Energy Corporation, and Ontario Hydro.
Over the years, the ministry was merged with various other ministries:
- Between 1993 and 1997, the ministry was amalgamated with the Ministry of the Environment to form the Ministry of Environment and Energy
- Between 1997 and 2002, the ministry took on responsibility for Science and Technology and was known as the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology.
- Between April and August 2002, the ministry was again briefly merged with Ministry of the Environment to form the Ministry of Environment and Energy
- Between 2008 and 2010, the ministry was merged with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal to form the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
- Between 2018 and 2021, the ministry was merged with the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines to form the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines
=List of ministers=
{{unreferenced-section|date=January 2025}}
| class="wikitable"
! ! Name ! colspan=2; style="width: 125px;"|Term of office ! style="width: 125px;"|Tenure ! Political party ! style="width: 400px;"| Note | |||||
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Energy Resources
! rowspan=2; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"|PC | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan=3; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | rowspan=2|Robert Macaulay | {{dts|1959-05-05}} | {{dts|1961-11-08}} | rowspan=2|{{ayd|1959-05-05 | 1963-10-16}}
| | |
| {{dts|1961-11-08}} | {{dts|1963-10-16}}
! rowspan=5; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| PC | | ||||
| John Richard Simonett | {{dts|1963-10-16}} | {{dts|1964-03-25}} | rowspan=3|{{ayd|1963-10-16 | 1969-06-05}} | ||
| ||colspan=3| Minister of Energy Resource and Management || | |||||
| rowspan=3; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | John Richard Simonett | {{dts|1964-03-26}} | {{dts|1969-06-05}} | ||
| rowspan=2|George Albert Kerr | {{dts|1969-06-05}} | {{dts|1971-03-01}} | rowspan=2|{{ayd|1969-06-05 | 1971-07-23}} | ||
| {{dts|1971-03-01}} | {{dts|1971-07-23}}
! rowspan=9; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| PC | | ||||
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Energy || | |||||
| rowspan=9; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | Darcy McKeough | {{dts|1973-07-04}} | {{dts|1975-06-18}} | {{ayd|1973-07-04 | 1975-06-18}} | |
| Dennis Timbrell | {{dts|1975-06-18}} | {{dts|1977-02-03}} | {{ayd|1975-06-18 | 1977-02-03}} | ||
| James Taylor | {{dts|1977-02-03}} | {{dts|1978-01-21}} | {{ayd|1977-02-03 | 1978-01-21}} | ||
| Reuben Baetz | {{dts|1978-01-21}} | {{dts|1978-08-18}} | {{ayd|1978-01-21 | 1978-08-18}} | ||
| James Auld | {{dts|1978-08-18}} | {{dts|1979-08-30}} | {{ayd|1978-08-18 | 1979-08-30}} | Concurrently Minister of Natural Resources | |
| Bob Welch | {{dts|1979-08-30}} | {{dts|1983-07-06}} | {{ayd|1979-08-30 | 1983-07-06}} | While Deputy Premier | |
| Philip Andrewes | {{dts|1983-07-06}} | {{dts|1985-02-08}} | {{ayd|1983-07-06 | 1985-02-08}} | ||
| George Ashe | {{dts|1985-02-08}} | {{dts|1985-05-17}} | {{ayd|1985-02-08 | 1985-05-17}}
! rowspan=2; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| PC | | ||
| Mike Harris | {{dts|1985-05-17}} | {{dts|1985-06-26}} | {{ayd|1985-05-17 | 1985-06-26}} | Concurrently Minister of Natural Resources | |
| rowspan=3; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal}};"| | Vince Kerrio | {{dts|1985-06-26}} | {{dts|1987-09-29}} | {{ayd|1985-06-26 | 1987-09-29}}
! rowspan=3; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal}};"|Liberal | Concurrently Minister of Natural Resources | |
| Bob Wong | {{dts|1987-09-29}} | {{dts|1989-08-02}} | {{ayd|1987-09-29 | 1989-08-02}} | ||
| Lyn McLeod | {{dts|1989-08-02}} | {{dts|1990-10-01}} | {{ayd|1989-08-02 | 1990-10-01}} | Concurrently Minister of Natural Resources | |
| rowspan=3; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP}};"| | Jenny Carter | {{dts|1990-10-01}} | {{dts|1991-07-31}} | {{ayd|1990-10-01 | 1991-07-31}}
! rowspan=5 ; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP}};"|NDP | | |
| Will Ferguson | {{dts|1991-07-31}} | {{dts|1992-02-13}} | {{ayd|1991-07-31 | 1992-02-13}} | ||
| Brian Charlton | {{dts|1992-02-14}} | {{dts|1993-02-03}} | {{ayd|1992-02-14 | 1993-02-03}} | Interim minister prior to September 23, 1992 | |
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Environment and Energy || | |||||
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP}};"| | Bud Wildman | {{dts|1993-02-03}} | {{dts|1995-06-26}} | {{ayd|1993-02-03 | 1995-06-26}} | |
| rowspan=2; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | Brenda Elliott | {{dts|1995-06-26}} | {{dts|1996-08-16}} | {{ayd|1995-06-26 | 1996-08-16}}
! rowspan=5 ; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"|PC | | |
| Norm Sterling | {{dts|1996-08-16}} | {{dts|1997-10-10}} | {{ayd|1996-08-16 | 1997-10-10}} | ||
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Energy, Science and Technology || | |||||
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | Jim Wilson | {{dts|1997-10-10}} | {{dts|2002-04-14}} | {{ayd|1997-10-10 | 2002-04-14}} | |
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Environment and Energy || | |||||
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | Chris Stockwell | {{dts|2002-04-15}} | {{dts|2002-08-22}} | {{ayd|2002-04-15 | 2002-08-22}}
! rowspan=3 ; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"|PC | | |
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Energy || | |||||
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | John Baird | {{dts|2002-08-22}} | {{dts|2003-10-22}} | {{ayd|2002-08-22 | 2003-10-22}} | |
| rowspan=4; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal}};"| | Dwight Duncan | {{dts|2003-10-23}} | {{dts|2005-10-11}} | {{ayd|2003-10-23 | 2005-10-11}} (first time) ! rowspan=11; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal}};"| Liberal | While Government House Leader & Chair of Cabinet | |
| Donna Cansfield | {{dts|2005-10-11}} | {{dts|2006-05-23}} | {{ayd|2005-10-11 | 2006-05-23}} | ||
| Dwight Duncan | {{dts|2006-05-23}} | {{dts|2007-10-30}} | {{ayd|2006-05-23 | 2007-10-30}} (second time, 3 years, 148 days in total) | While Chair of Cabinet | |
| Gerry Phillips | {{dts|2007-10-30}} | {{dts|2008-06-20}} | {{ayd|2007-10-30 | 2008-06-20}} (first time) | ||
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Energy and Infrastructure || | |||||
| rowspan=3; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal}};"| | George Smitherman | {{dts|2008-06-20}} | {{dts|2009-11-09}} | {{ayd|2008-06-20 | 2009-11-09}} | While Deputy Premier |
| Gerry Phillips | {{dts|2009-11-09}} | {{dts|2010-01-18}} | {{ayd|2009-11-09 | 2010-01-18}} (second time, 304 days in total) | While Chair of Cabinet | |
| Brad Duguid | {{dts|2010-01-18}} | {{dts|2010-08-18}} | rowspan=3|{{ayd|2010-01-18 |2011-10-20}} | ||
| ||colspan=3| Minister of Energy || | |||||
| rowspan=4; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal}};"| | Brad Duguid | {{dts|2010-08-18}} | {{dts|2011-10-20}} | ||
| Chris Bentley | {{dts|2011-10-20}} | {{dts|2013-02-11}} | {{ayd|2011-10-20 | 2013-02-11}} | ||
| Bob Chiarelli | {{dts|2013-02-11}} | {{dts|2016-06-13}} | {{ayd|2013-02-11 | 2016-06-13}}
! rowspan=2; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal}};"| Liberal | | ||
| Glenn Thibeault | {{dts|2016-06-13}} | {{dts|2018-06-29}} | {{ayd|2016-06-13 | 2018-06-29}} | ||
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines
! rowspan=5; style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"|PC ! | |||||
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | Greg Rickford | {{dts|2018-06-29}} | {{dts|2021-06-18}} | {{ayd|2018-06-29 | 2021-06-18}} | Concurrently Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Bill Walker served as Associate Minister of Energy from June 20, 2019 to June 18, 2021 |
| ||colspan=4| Minister of Energy || | |||||
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};"| | Todd Smith | {{dts|2021-06-18}} | {{dts|2024-06-06}} | {{ayd|2021-06-18}} | |
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|ON|PC}};|
|{{dts|2024-06-06}} |Incumbent |{{ayd|2024-06-6}} |Sam Oosterhoff is Associate Minister for Energy-Intensive Industries |
References
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