Policy · Reliable Power · Ward 2 Smart Growth Starts With Reliable Power Joshua Glover  |  Candidate for Councillor, Ward 2

As a longtime resident of historic Bowmanville, I find it striking that Clarington stands as an energy capital of Canada—producing roughly 20% of Ontario's electricity—while local residents continue to report power flickers and voltage sags. While the quality of services seem to decline, the Ontario Energy Board's forecast average cost of electricity supply increased by 29% for the 2025–2026 period.

Clarington has a direct financial relationship with its local electricity distributor through a 9.248% ownership interest in Elexicon Corporation. Council historically used Elexicon dividends to support municipal operating expenses. In the 2025 Operating Budget Update, Council began phasing out that reliance and redirecting future dividends toward capital reserves, requiring corresponding property-tax levy adjustments of $175,000 in 2025, $125,000 in 2026 and $14,000 in 2027—a total of $314,000 over three years.

Clarington does not operate the electrical grid, but it does make important decisions about where development occurs, how much density is permitted and how new communities are planned. As growth accelerates, those decisions should be better coordinated with the utility responsible for supplying them.

The Ward 2 Growth Pressure Point

Ward 2 is at the centre of Clarington's coming growth. The Bowmanville West Major Transit Station Area is planned to accommodate approximately 8,000 new homes, with areas permitting buildings between 12 and 18 storeys near the future Bowmanville GO Station.

Growth at that scale will bring substantial new electrical demand from homes, businesses and community infrastructure. Local distribution capacity must keep pace.

The problem is when electrical capacity enters the planning process. Roads, water and sanitary servicing are incorporated into long-range planning for major growth areas. Electrical servicing follows a separate utility process and can be addressed later, at the individual development and connection stage.

For growth areas planned to accommodate thousands of new homes, that sequencing deserves greater attention. Electrical capacity should be considered alongside other essential infrastructure at the earliest stages of municipal growth planning, with Elexicon involved before major land-use decisions are finalized.

The issue is of planning alignment: bringing municipal growth planning and electrical distribution planning together early enough to identify capacity requirements and potential constraints before development advances.

Policy Commitments

Clarington does not need to control the electrical grid to plan responsibly for the infrastructure that growth requires. Council can ensure that electrical servicing is considered earlier and that Elexicon is engaged as major growth areas are planned.

When elected Councillor for Ward 2, I will advocate for:

1. Standardize Early Utility Scoping: Require early electrical-servicing consultation with Elexicon for major high-density development applications so feeder capacity, projected peak demand and potential infrastructure requirements are identified before major planning decisions are finalized.

2. Integrate Electrical Planning into Secondary Plans: For major multi-decade growth areas such as the Bowmanville West MTSA, work with Elexicon during the Secondary Plan process to identify long-term distribution requirements, potential infrastructure locations and feeder needs before development occurs.

3. Require Growth Infrastructure Reporting: For major growth areas, require reports to Council to identify known electrical-servicing requirements and capacity constraints alongside other major infrastructure needs before significant development approvals are considered.

Smart growth requires planning for the infrastructure those homes will depend on. As Clarington grows, electrical capacity should not be an afterthought. It should be part of the planning from the beginning.

On October 26, vote Joshua Glover for Peace, Order, and Good Governance.