Ontario auditor general assesses green energy cancellation costs as reasonable

Ontario's auditor general says she has looked at the government's $231 million estimate of the cost of cancelling green energy contracts and deemed it reasonable.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath had asked Bonnie Lysyk to probe the price tag, saying she is concerned the final cost of cancelling 750 contracts could surpass $231 million.

The NDP first reported the cost of the cancellations last week, saying the figure was listed as "other transactions" in government documents detailing spending in the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

Lysyk has written to Horwath in response, saying her office looked at that cost as part of its audit of those financial statements and that it was reasonable as of March 31.

She says the office will revisit the costs again in March 2020 as part of its audit of this year's financial statements, but for a full special audit, that request has to come from a cabinet minister, the legislative assembly or a legislative committee.

Energy Minister Greg Rickford says the auditor has done her work and was satisfied.