BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Ontario, Canada briefly threatened to charge an extra 25% on power it sends to New York state, Michigan and Minnesota.

However, after the Trump administration responded by saying it would double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Premier Doug Ford agreed to suspend the surcharge and plans to meet with the U.S. Commerce Secretary Thursday to discuss renegotiating the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement.

"It's not about backing down. It's about sitting around the table and negotiating a fair deal. Let's move this USMCA, move it up, forward, as quickly as we possibly can because right now no one likes uncertainty," Ford said.

Dennis Elsenbeck, the head of energy and sustainability for Buffalo-based Phillips Lytle Energy Consulting Group, said the surcharge likely would have had little impact on the cost of electricity for New Yorkers. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) projects two Canadian sources in Ontario and Quebec will provide roughly 11% of the state's demand for power this summer.

"When you're asking, well, what's the impact of a 25% tariff, well you have to put in context. It's actually 25% of 11%," Elsenbeck said.

He said the transmission integration system goes both ways so it is good for both countries to maintain its stability and the ISO has contingencies when power sources are unavailable.

"What will happen is that we'll just shift our buying or the ISO will shift its buying to the United States," Elsenbeck said.

However, Elsenbeck, who was a member of New York's Climate Action Council, says surrounding states rely far more on natural gas and coal to produce electricity than Canada, which doesn't fit the state's climate goals. He said the surcharge threat should serve as a signal to consider new policies.

"Does New York want to continue to rely on external sources or does New York want to capture the current demand in the AI data center and the semiconductor market by ensuring we have a very stable supply source in order to attract these businesses to New York," he said.

New York has set climate goals including 70% renewable energy sources by 2030. Elsenbeck has always been skeptical the state can reach that goal and believes it should instead shift its focus to the goal of zero-percent emissions by 2040.

He said a big part of that would be recruiting big AI and data businesses that require mass power to help invest in their own sources, particularly nuclear, that could help fortify the grid and make it more sustainable.