Simpler approvals for renewable power in Ontario’s proposed legislation

The Ontario government introduced its proposed Green Energy Act at the end of February. Its stated goal is to provide more certainty and clarity for those proposing to develop renewable energy projects. The government would also require renewable energy projects to have domestic content to boost employment, and it wants to work with First Nations and Metis communities to encourage them to build projects.

Specific steps in the Act include having a one-step streamlined approvals process for renewable energy projects. The government would also implement a “smart” power grid that could support small distributed energy generation and prepare for electric car plug-ins.

Renewable energy projects would have the right to connect to the electricity grid. A so-called “feed-in tariff” would guarantee specific rates for energy from renewable sources.

The province already should have 1.2MW of renewable energy already on line by 2009.

In January, Ontario’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure published a national guide of programs, financial incentives and resources for achieving energy efficiency. The Ontario Energy Efficiency Resource Guide applies to the commercial, institutional and residential sectors as well as single family homes, and it concisely and usefully summarizes Canadian and provincial programs.