The idea of using energy as a cudgel is unbelievably terrible for Ontario when we look at how energy is supplied to the province. Ontario has far more to lose if the U.S. slashes energy supplies to Canada, than the other way around.

Unfortunately, Ford had already jumped into the fray with both feet firmly in his mouth.

Ontario’s premier got Trump’s attention with a threat to cut electricity exports from Ontario to New York, Michigan and Wisconsin. A Ford spokesperson emphasized this could affect up to 1.5 million households.

While that sounds significant, let’s put Ontario’s exports in context: the gargantuan eastern U.S. grid has 700 GW of generating capacity, while Ontario’s exports to that grid represent less than 0.3 per cent of that total. If Ontario stopped exports, the province would lose up to $700 million annually in revenue and further idle its generating capacity, or worse, waste off-peak electricity it can’t do anything with, while the U.S. has large resources to rebalance.

Ford’s tit-for-tat threat opened a door we don’t want opened. The idea of using energy as a cudgel is unbelievably terrible for Ontario when we look at how energy is supplied to the province. Ontario has far more to lose if the U.S. slashes energy supplies to Canada than the other way around.