Electricity consumers in Ontario will get 10 per cent rebates on their bills starting in January to offset a projected 46per cent hike in hydro rates over the next five years.
Finance Minister Dwight Duncan says the rebates should help keep increases in electricity rates to about 3.6 per cent a year as Ontario moves to green energy sources.
Duncan admits the switch to renewable energy is responsible for more than half of the projected increase.
But he says there are financial and human savings to getting out of coal-fired generation.
He asks if it's worth three billion dollars a year in health costs to the province just to keep burning coal to generate electricity.
The Tories and New Democrats say the rebates are clearly designed to help the Liberals overcome voter anger over skyrocketing hydro bills in advance of next fall's election.
Wind power opponents say the so-called Clean Energy Benefit is an attempt to hide the true cost of green energy.
They say it "won't stem the anger, solve the problem or spare the Liberals in 2011.''
