Mergers by Choice, Not Edict: Reforming Ontario’s Electricity Distribution Policy

While provincially appointed panels have recommended that Ontario force local electricity distribution companies (LDCs) to merge into a handful of large, regional operations, it is unclear that this would be a better deal for the people of Ontario, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Mergers by Choice, Not Edict: Reforming Ontario’s Electricity Distribution Policy,” the authors recommend instead that Ontario government policy should be neutral towards mergers and acquisitions, permit private sector participation, and allow individual LDCs and municipalities to make their own choices.