Tag Archives: Ontario Power Authority

Ont. Green Party Says “Will Use SmartMeters To Put $ In Your Pocket”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Green Party Will Use Smart Meters to Put Money in Your Pocket

Toronto, Ontario – Green Party of Ontario Leader, Mike Schreiner announced his party’s commitment to Smart Meter changes that encourage innovative ways for Ontarians to save money by saving energy. Schreiner along with Philip Playfair, the owner of Toronto conservation company Lowfoot, spoke at the home of Barry Martin, a Lowfoot customer.

“The Green Party would use smart meters to save us money, by using them to create a market for conservation,” said Schreiner. “Local entrepreneurs such as Lowfoot have already started businesses that pay people to conserve energy. Energy bureaucrats need to move out of the way to foster innovative ideas like this that reward people for efficiency and conservation.”

The Green Party would develop a Conservation Energy Pool (CEP) to serve as a market for kilowatts saved. The CEP would enable entrepreneurs to develop viable businesses that pay people to save energy verified by available smart meter data.

“Our mission is to generate power plant level generation via energy conservation,” said Playfair. “By engaging Ontarians and providing them with their usage information they can take an active role in conservation.”

The Green Party would end the centralized, command and control conservation programs developed by Ontario Power Authority bureaucrats. The Party’s plan would use existing technology to help individuals and businesses to measure their energy use in order to identify and verify savings.

“Getting involved with Lowfoot was a way to help us learn about conserving. Most of our changes were rudimentary-things,” said Martin. “That said, the social nature, gaming aspect and transparency involved helped us become conscious of our habits in a hurry. We now feel great about lowering our consumption and our costs.”

Your Green MPPs will:

– Develop a market for entrepreneurs to deliver conservation and energy efficient products and programs

– Support innovation and investment to make Ontario a leader in the new Energy Economy

End the command-and-control conservation programs developed by Ontario Power Authority bureaucrats, and empower Local Distribution Companies to develop local programs to meet conservation targets.

About Lowfoot Inc. :
Toronto based, Lowfoot Inc. securely connects to smart meter data and automatically displays the client’s electricity usage. They help manage their client’s electricity, reduce bills and help clients earn rewards for their conservation. They also offer a web based social network of people who are conserving energy, wanting to learn how to conserve energy or are interested in their energy use patterns.

For more information on the Green Party of Ontario’s Energy Plan visit: Silo Direct Link To Green Party Ontario PressSite

Media Contact:
Rebecca Harrison
Director of Communications
Green Party of Ontario
(c) 905-999-5479
(e) rebeccaharrison@gpo.ca
Sent from Green Party of Ontario

PO Box 1132
Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8
Canada

Links:
——
Silo Direct Link To Alternative Green Party Ontario PressSite

Creating Stability For Clean Energy Projects

CREATING STABILITY FOR CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS

To maintain momentum and ensure Ontario remains competitive in North America’s emerging clean energy economy, the province is taking a number of actions to make it easier for energy developers and manufacturers to do business in the province.

 

These changes are part of ongoing efforts to provide stability and create jobs in Ontario’s clean energy sector and protect the health and safety of Ontarians and the environment.

 

To date more than 20,000 clean energy jobs have been created in Ontario, and the province is on track to create 50,000 by 2012.

 

Changes to Feed in Tariff (FIT) Contract Terms

 

A new process is being introduced to help provide stability for developers to move clean energy projects forward. FIT contract holders with projects seeking project financing and a manufacturing partner now have the opportunity to request the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to waive its termination rights if they meet certain conditions. This means:

  • Large developers must submit a Domestic Content Plan and have it approved by the OPA by December 31, 2011. As well they must submit evidence of an agreement to purchase equipment by December 31, 2011.

 

  • For medium sized projects, a Domestic Content Plan must be submitted by December 31, 2011.

 

  • Developers of clean energy programs that do not require Domestic Content plans — hydro, biogas, landfill gas and biomass — may also request that the OPA waive its termination rights.

 

This will give clean energy developers more stability in planning and more flexibility to obtain financing and place orders for equipment.

 

Developers still need to obtain regulatory approvals, provide a completed Financing Plan, and documentation related to completed grid impact assessments, as well as pay the required security, before they are able to move to the construction phase.

 

Improving the Renewable Energy Approval Process

 

The Renewable Energy Approval (REA) is a single approval that integrates environmental and health and safety matters.
The purpose of the REA is to avoid duplication, set clear, upfront provincial rules and encourage the development of more clean energy projects. The rules ensure all clean energy projects built in Ontario are subject to the same requirements to protect human health and the environment. The province has made a number of improvements to streamline the process even further.

 

The Ministry of the Environment has reduced the amount of time it takes for the initial screening review of application from 90 days to 40 days by:

  • Establishing a dedicated REA team focused only on the management and review of REA applications.

 

  • Holding over 250 pre-consultation meetings with proponents to ensure awareness of REA requirements. Key documents and resources related to the process are available on a dedicated      business website for easy access.

 

These process improvements will be further enhanced by:

 

  • The release of a new Technical Guide to Renewable Energy Approvals to help renewable energy developers meet the requirements of the Renewable Energy Approvals regulation (O. Reg. 359/09).

 

    • This will provide clear guidance on how to prepare the required technical and scientific reports as well as conduct more effective consultations with municipalities, the public and Aboriginal communities.

 

  • Releasing an aboriginal consultation guide for proponents that has been developed by consulting with technical experts within key First Nations organizations and other ministries. The draft is now posted for broader consultation.

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources has also introduced a number of steps and new tools to save developers time:

 

  • Developing technical guidelines on protection of natural heritage and significant wildlife habitat that provide clear rules for the renewable energy industry.

 

  • Delivering intensive training sessions to more than 100 industry environmental consultants on implementing technical guidelines.

 

  • Releasing new tools, templates and resources to streamline processes for completing REA approval requirements, including rapid assessment tools for significant wildlife habitat and wetlands.

 

  • Focusing staff resources on reviewing and approving Feed-in Tariff projects, resulting approval of over 75 per cent of natural heritage assessments submitted to the ministry.

 

  • Establishing a regional team of specialists to focus on the new Bruce to Milton Feed-in-Tariff projects – developers will be contacted by the ministry within three weeks of receiving their FIT contracts to begin the regulatory review process.

 

In addition, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture considers the review of all REA heritage and archaeological assessment reports as a priority, with the highest focus on those projects with FIT contracts. That’s why the ministry will implement a 60-day service guarantee for written comments on final assessment reports. As well, this June the ministry posted an Information Bulletin on its website; it helps applicants navigate through meeting the cultural heritage requirements of the REA process by clarifying all requirements for proponents and provides a step-by-step outline of the process. This will help ensure applications are completed and improve the quality of self-assessments.

 

The ministry also:

  • Released Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists (2011) and associated training for consultant archaeologists.
  • Is in the process of developing technical guidance for heritage consultants on conducting and preparing heritage assessments

 

Together these guidance materials will help lead to a more rapid review process.

 

Changes to Property Tax Treatment of Renewable Energy Facilities

 

Regulatory amendments are being proposed to Ontario Regulation 282/98 regarding the property tax treatment of renewable energy facilities.

 

The Assessment Act and Ontario Regulation 282/98 currently provide rules governing the property tax treatment of energy generation facilities; however, in some situations, these rules may not be sufficiently detailed to address issues relating to emerging types of energy installations.

 

The objective of the proposed regulatory amendments is to provide clarity and certainty to property owners, municipalities and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, and to ensure that property tax does not act as a disincentive to energy generation, particularly small-scale generation by persons who are not ordinarily in the business of generation.

 

More information

Read more about Ontario’s Green Energy Act.

 

Read more about the Renewable Energy Approvals Process

 

Read the Minister of Energy’s Directive to the Ontario Power Authority

 

Read the Regulatory Registry posting of proposed changes to Property Tax Treatment of Renewable Energy Facilities.

 

To Learn more about renewable energy in Ontario visit  http://www.ontario.ca/renewableenergy

 

 

Andrew Block, Minister’s Office, 416-327-6747Paul Gerard, Communications Branch, 416-326-7226

ontario.ca/energy-news

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