Talk about a chronic pain in the gas.

Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives are slamming the Liberal government after media reports revealed the cost for the now infamous gas plant scandal has jumped by over $1.5 billion. That’s in addition to the $1.2 billion previously revealed by the auditor general, the Tories say.

CTV News revealed Thursday that Ontario ratepayers will now have to start shelling out on their hydro bills for the two relocated gas plants behind the infamous scandal.

The pricetag to build the Sarnia gas plant sits at $360 million and the Napanee plant at $1.2 billion, CTV says.

PC Energy Critic Todd Smith called the costs “disgusting”.

“All of that has to be recovered in the customer rate-base,” he said. “The electricity customer’s bills.”

In 2011, the Liberals promised to move two controversial gas plant developments, one in Oakville and one in Mississauga. Initially, it was believed the election promise would cost taxpayers $230 million. Ontario’s Auditor General revealed in 2013 that the real cost to taxpayers was closer to $1.2 billion.

“It’s disgusting really because it’s complete waste by the government,” Smith said. “These plants were intended to go in the GTA. ... That’s where growth is occurring in the Golden Horseshoe and the GTHA. So the need for generation in that area was real. It’s still real.”

Smith said the government decision was done to save Liberal seats in the 2011 election but the consequences are still being felt today.

What’s worse, the plants in Sarnia and Napanee will sit idle much of the time, he said.

Colin Nekolaichuk, spokesman for Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault, disputed the claim that these costs are in addition to those previously identified by the Auditor General.

“These are the costs of now running the natural gas fired generators, just like any other generator in the province,” he said. “The figures mentioned in media reports are the capital costs of these facilities, which would be paid for regardless of where these plants were built and have been factored into rates since the 2013 Long Term Energy Plan.”

Nekolaichuk said the government has accepted the Auditor General’s finding on the relocation of the gas plants and made improvements “to ensure that new build generation is appropriately sited at the outset of the planning process.”

sjeffords@postmedia.com