Ontario and the Campaign for Advanced Renewable Tariffs

In late May, 2009 the Ontario provincial parliament passed the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. The Green Energy Act is a comprehensive package of measures, including how to procure and integrate renewable energy into the provincial electricity system.

The Green Energy Act enabled the creation of North America's first comprehensive system of feed-in tariffs like those found in Germany, France, Spain, and many other countries.

For more on this ground-breaking measure, see the links below.

• Renewable Energy World: Experts Predict End of Month for Ontario FIT Review Update--By late February the renewable energy industry should have direction from the Ontario government on some of the major changes ahead for the province’s landmark feed-in tariff program. . .
• Unlikely Coalition Joins Forces to Recommend Changes to Ontario's Feed-in Tariff Program--Renewable energy advocates and a solar industry trade group filed a joint submission on December 14, 2011 as part of the province of Ontario's scheduled two-year review of its groundbreaking feed-in tariff (FIT) program. . .
• Ontario Feed-In Tariff: 2011 Review--In response to the government's two-year feed-in tariff (FIT) review process, the Green Energy Act Alliance and Shine Ontario Association have joined forces to present a clear path for renewable energy in Ontario. The report's goal is to ensure that new green jobs continue to be created, that Ontario residents be given more opportunities to participate in community renewable projects, and that FIT prices be reduced in 2012 for new projects to reflect the success of Ontario’s burgeoning solar industry and the reduction in solar prices globally. . .
• Proposed revised solar PV feed-in tariffs for Ontario in 2012--For 2012 the Green Energy Act Alliance and Shine Ontario recommend a dramatic cut in the solar PV tariffs in response to the falling prices of modules during the past two years.
• Ontario Ratepayer Impact of Sustainable FIT Program--The Green Energy Act Alliance's (GEAA) proposed long-term renewable energy supply plan adds approximately 15,000 MW of new renewable capacity in steady, sustainable, annual increments for seven years. We estimate that in 2018 total generation from our proposal would contribute about 32 terawatt-hours per year (TWh/yr) or nearly 21% of the province's electricity supply. Added to existing new renewable generation in the province, this target could bring total new renewable generation to 25% of consumption by 2018. . .
• Marion Fraser: Getting it Right – Not Quite – Ontario’s Green Energy Act and its Feed-in Tariff Program--In 2009, Ontario passed its Green Energy and Green Economy Act. By almost any measure of performance--applications, investment, jobs, industrial development--it has been a great success, but so far, few feed in tariff contracts are in commercial operation. What was right and what has gone wrong? . .
• OPA: Ontario FIT Program review underway--Ontario is moving forward with its commitment to review the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) Program. . . Ontarians can provide feedback by answering an online survey or making a written submission at www.Ontario.ca/FITreview until December 14, 2011. The OPA hosted a webinar on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 to discuss the FIT Program Review. Please click here for the session archive. . .
• ClearSky Advisors: Did Anti-Renewable Energy Policy Cost Candidate the Ontario Election?--But what about Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate Hudak: Did he lose this election because of his negative stance towards green energy? . . We can’t know for certain, but two pieces of evidence suggests that the PC party would benefit from a more pragmatic approach to green energy in the future: The PC party did not gain a single seat in 11 ridings with significant new green energy manufacturing facilities, suggesting that green energy policy might actually have saved McGuinty from an overall loss. . . While the PCs’ loss of support can’t be solely attributed to Hudak’s aggressive stance on green energy policy, it is clear that he made no gains by taking such a negative position. . .
• Reuters: Green energy sector cheers Ontario election result--Ontario's renewable energy industry breathed a sigh of relief on Friday and manufacturers looked forward to a surge in demand after voters in the province returned the Liberal Party to power, albeit without a majority. . .
• Tyler Hamilton: Liberals re-elected in Ontario: Green Energy Act and feed-in-tariff program live on--Happy to report that the re-election of the Ontario Liberal government last night means the province’s landmark Green Energy Act, which gave birth to the continent’s first comprehensive Euro-style feed-in-tariff program, has survived its first major challenge. The opposition Progressive Conservative party vowed to scrap the FIT program if elected and neuter the green energy legislation that has brought billions of dollars of investment to Ontario, thousands of jobs, and a new economic pathway for a province that needs to reinvent itself for the 21st century. . .
• Toronto Star: Ontario’s path to green prosperity by Jürgen Trittin--Just 20 years ago, nearly all of Germany’s electricity was generated by coal, oil and nuclear power. Today, renewables such as wind and solar provide more than 20 per cent of the nation’s power. Clean energy production has become a major source of jobs and investment. It has been a real success story for the economy and the environment. . . Ontario is now embarking on a similar path. It is building a global reputation as an emerging clean energy leader in North America. To drive this change, Ontario is using a feed-in-tariff program (providing price incentives for green energy) that is very similar to the one we have used in Germany. This program has been the key to our success, and should produce similar results in Ontario. . .
• Ottawa Citizen: A look at Ontario's future--Voters worried about the costs of renewable energy should look at Germany's booming green economy, writes Chris Turner--When Ontario voters go to the polls this Thursday, they are participating to some degree in a referendum on the Green Energy Act, the ambitious policy passed by Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government in 2009 with the intent of vaulting Ontario into the front ranks of the global cleantech economy. . .
• Toronto Star: Hume: Life in a time of denial--Hayes, president of Seattle’s Bullitt Foundation, believes solar is the way to go. “It’s 80,000 times more efficient than other sources,” he argues. “It is an economic winner.”. . The key, he continues, is some sort of feed-in tariff program like those in countries around the world, most notably Germany and China. Ontario approved a FIT scheme several years ago, something Hudak has promised to kill. . .
• Toronto Star: German enviro chief’s message to Ontarians: ‘Be patient’ on Green Energy Act--Sharing the experiences of Germany, Lehmann said the kind of green energy program introduced in Ontario needs to operate for a few years before the economic benefits – the true vision of the initiative – become more visible. “Then it explodes,” said Lehmann, meaning in a good way. . . What Lehmann brought to the discussion was the benefit of hindsight. Twenty years ago renewable-energy represented less than 1 per cent of German power production. Today this production sits at 17 per cent, and the aim is to reach 35 per cent by 2020. . .
• Globe & Mail: Solar power among renewable projects languishing from Hydro One delays --Delays in dealing with more than 4,000 green-power proposals such as Ms. Van Geffen's are the focus of a two-day Ontario Energy Board hearing that pits the province's largest utility against the nascent solar sector. . .
• Solar Server: IBEW condemns Ontario Conservatives for threatening feed-in tariff--the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Council of Ontario (IBEW-CCO) denounced Ontario Conservative Leader Tim Hudak's statement that he would dismantle the Canadian province's feed-in tariff if his party is elected. . . The IBEW states that such a move could destroy thousands of jobs, estimating that the feed-in tariff and Green Energy Act have resulted in "several million" person-hours of construction work. . .
• Pembina: Behind the switch--pricing Ontario electricity options--The study indicates that investing in renewable energy today is likely to save Ontario ratepayers money within the next 15 years, as natural gas becomes more expensive and as the cost of renewable energy technology continues to decrease. . .
• Ottawa Citizen: German farmer touts wind co-ops in rural Ontario--Farmers in Hans-Detlef Feddersen’s neighbourhood in northern Germany make $2.5 million in a good year growing wheat. They make $15 million harvesting the wind. . .
• Ontario’s Feed-in Tariffs: Setting the Standard in North America--Presentation by Paul Gipe for VerdeXchange, June 6, 2011, Toronto Ontario, including a proposal for revisions to Ontario's groundbreaking feed-in tariffs . . .
• Blowing Smoke: Correcting Anti-Wind Myths in Ontario by Environmental Defence--"There is a tremendous amount of fear-mongering going on right now about wind power in Ontario," said Adam Scott, Green Energy Program Manager, Environmental Defence. "This report aims to introduce some real facts into the debate so that communities can make well informed decisions about wind projects.". .
• Tyler Hamilton: Is Ontario ready for a nuclear disaster?--As Ontario debates the future of renewable energy, questions are raised about the province's reliance on nuclear power. . .
• Ontario's Solar PV Installations May Surpass California in 2011--2011 Big Year for Ontario PV Market Say Consultants. . . In 2011, ClearSky forecasts that Ontario will install more than 400 MW of solar PV, nearly double that of the next largest North American market, California. . .
• Globe & Mail: Energy in FITs and starts--Ontario’s feed-in tariff program elegantly kills two birds with one stone. First, it empowers the private sector to develop the clean power projects Ontario needs to meet its promise to close its coal plants. Second, it provides a big boost to green manufacturing with a target of creating 50,000 new jobs. . .
• Clean Break: A solar PV jobs fair in Guelph, Ontario… times have changed! by Tyler Hamilton--Five years ago the thought of any company holding a solar PV jobs fair, let alone in a community such as Guelph, Ontario, would have been absurd. But since the introduction of the province’s feed-in-tariff program for renewables, combined with local content requirements, we’re seeing a flurry of activity as manufacturers and suppliers get ready for what’s expected to be a busy year. . .
• Ontario FIT Price Determination Summary--How Did They Do It--Several people have asked how the province of Ontario, Canada determined the price of each individual tariff in its Feed-in Tariff program and how were stakeholders involved. . .
• Ontario FIT Policy--More Jobs per Buck Says Report--The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ISLR), a progressive Midwestern think tank, says that Ontario is getting more jobs for its renewable energy investments than comparable Midwestern states. . .
• ClearSky Advisors: 2011 will be the year that matters most for solar energy in Ontario--2009 saw the introduction of the Green Energy and Economy Act that produced a favorable Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) program. 2010 was a landmark year thanks to the approval of several hundred MWs of solar projects through the FIT program. 2011 is the year where it will become clear whether the Ontario market will be a flash in the pan or will gain the momentum to become a long-term sustainable industry. . .
• Ottawa MPP Naqvi touts Ontario FIT program--“As the MPP for Ottawa centre I felt it was important to host a session like this to address resident’s curiosity on how to produce solar energy at the same time making money from electricity they generate,” said Yasir Naqvi, Ottawa Centre MPP. . .
• There’s More Green to Vineyards in Ontario than Just Grapes and the Next Great Harvest--The Ontario Power Authority’s renewable energy Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) program guarantees the purchase of electricity generated from solar and other renewable sources at extremely favorable rates. In addition, it has prompted several Niagara region wineries to consider going into the full time production of solar electricity for sale. . .
• Ontario Leaps to Second in North American Solar PV for 2010--The province of Ontario has leapt ahead of New Jersey to take second place in solar photovoltaic (PV) rankings for 2010. Ontario still trails California. At the current rate of growth, however, the solar upstart could rival California in 2011. . .
• Ottawa: In search of green, city turns to solar--Once online, the projects – which are still subject to technical and financial feasibility, as well as various government approvals – could earn the city up to $250,000 per year, it said in a release. . .
• Ontario renewable energy plan fuelling job creation--Although privately generated renewable energy is a relatively new development, Ontario’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program is already keeping electricians, engineers, roofers and other building tradespeople and professionals busy. . .
• T. Boone Pickens Investing in Ontario Wind Projects with Feed-in Tariffs--265 MW of wind projects backed by legendary oil man T. Boone Pickens "one step closer to receiving 20-year power purchase agreements" under Ontario's innovative Feed-in Tariff Program. . .
• Ontario Church follows the light: Richards Memorial United Church plans to plug in its cross-shaped solar array Wednesday--Worshippers at Richards Memorial United Church say they’ve always got their power from on high. Now they’re connecting their energy source to the grid. . .
• Toronto Star: Offshore wind would boost Ontario economy by Tyler Hamilton--Ontario, at least from a policy perspective, remains a leader for now. Last year it guaranteed to pay 19 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated from offshore wind projects, part of the province’s feed-in-tariff program for green energy. No other jurisdiction has such an offer. . .
• Employment and Economic Impacts of Ontario’s Future Offshore Wind Power Industry--The Conference Board of Canada reports on how Ontario's Feed-in Tariff could power job creation in the Canadian province. . . "Development and operations of offshore wind in Ontario would create between 55,000 and 62,000 person-years of employment and lift real gross domestic product by a cumulative total of up to $5.6 billion over 2013 to 2026. . ."
• Ontario's Green Power Past and Future by the award-winning writer Paul McKay--The Green Energy Act will not just deliver cleaner air, and green energy into the grid. It has already brought billions of investment capital into Ontario during a recession, ignited economic development in all parts of Ontario, spurred innovation, secured major green manufacturing commitments; and stimulated ownership diversity by inviting households, huge factories, farms, First Nations, and urban co-operatives to get into the generation game. . .
• Environmental Defence: faces of transformation: jobs, economic renewal and cleaner air from year one of ontario's green energy act--Only a year old, the Green Energy & Green Economy Act has tapped into Ontarians' long history of energy resourcefulness. In a province whose prosperity was first powered by Niagara Falls, and its great lakes and rivers, today's resourcefulness is powered by our wind, our sun and geothermal energy hidden deep beneath our soil. . .
• Ontario Feed-in Tariffs Rapidly Creating Solar Jobs: Provocative Report Says Cost only a "Donut per Month"--Using a measure of cost that all Canadians understand, a provocative new report says the impact of Ontario's feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV), which will create 70,000 jobs, is no more than one Tim Hortons donut per month. . .
• Going Solar in Ontario, Canada--Our family is one giant step closer to being part of Ontario’s innovative micro-FIT program, which is encouraging the growth of renewable energy production in the province by paying a premium to regular folks like us for generating electricity using renewable technologies and feeding it back into the grid. . .
• ClearSky Advisors: Solar industry to create more than 70,000 jobs in Ontario by 2015--Despite the higher costs of Solar PV power generation, the net impact to the average Ontario household will be the equivalent of less than 1% of their electricity bills each year–-less than the cost of one Tim Horton’s donut per month. . .
• TD Bank Financial Group Provides Financing for Ontario Feed-in Tariff Projects--One of Canada's largest banks is now offering dedicated financial services to homeowners and small businesses developing renewable projects under Ontario's Feed-in Tariff program. . .
• ClearSky Advisors: Why Ontario’s Clean Energy Benefit Makes Sense – Sort Of--Now that coal is being replaced, in part, by renewable energy and electricity conservation programs, ratepayers are being asked to pay more for their electricity but taxpayers will no longer have to shoulder the cost of coal’s economic externalities. Put differently, the new electricity rates more accurately reflect the true cost of the electricity. . .
• Economic Impacts of Solar Energy in Ontario by ClearSky Advisors--Installing 3,000 MW of solar PV in Ontario from 2010�]2015 will create over 70,000 person�]years of employment while increasing costs to the average Ontario household by the equivalent of less than one percent of their electricity bill per year. . .
• Presentation by Paul Gipe: OSEA Community Power 101, November 14, 2010
• NREL: Ontario is Getting Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions with a Little Help from their FITs--Ontario will make use of a potentially effective policy- known as feed-in tariffs (FITs)-to encourage the installation of a large amount of renewable energy to make up for the closing of so many coal plants. . .
• Toronto Star: Solar prices expected to decline--“We fully expect the government at the two-year review is going to hold firm and revise the feed-in-tariff prices,” said Gray, vice president Canada for SunEdison. The firm is a division of MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. . .
• Provincial Feed-in Tariffs Spurring Community Power--The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) has signed feed-in tariff contracts for 384 MW of community-owned renewable energy projects in the Canadian province. When completed, Ontario will have the largest installed base of community-owned renewable generation in North America, surpassing community ownership of renewable generation in Minnesota. Nearly one-third of the capacity will be built by Ontario's aboriginal population. . .
• Green Energy Legislation + (Tax Incentives + FIT) = Jobs and Economic Growth--Some of the largest investments in Canadian history were negotiated and confirmed within the first year since the signing of the GEA, which ushered in the first true comprehensive Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program in North America, and set ambitious goals for transitioning away from coal-generated energy. The legislation’s basic approach is that by creating a market for renewable energy, economic growth will follow. . .
• Ontario Power Authority's Colin Anderson: FIT for Ontario--Ontario signalled its intention of becoming a world leader in renewable energy a year ago when it launched a Feed-in Tariff program. The program is the most comprehensive in North America and offers guaranteed, long-term prices for renewable energy producers. It provides reasonable rates of return to increase investor confidence and to make it easier to finance projects.
• Reuters: Spain's Siliken to open solar plant in Ontario--Spanish solar equipment maker Siliken S.A. said on Friday it will open a manufacturing plant in Windsor, Ontario, to capitalize on an Ontario provincial government program that pays high rates for green energy but requires local content in installations. . .
• Toronto Star: Ikea generates cash from roof tops by John Spears--Ikea says its solar installations are the biggest to be owned and operated by a retailer in Canada. . .
• Globe and Mail: Machining firm says bye autos, hello solar--And as Ontario’s coal-generated electricity – about 7 per cent of the total – is phased out by 2014, the demand for renewables is likely to keep growing. . .
• Toronto Star: Ontario’s FIT program a success after one year--Ontario’s feed-in-tariff program is one year old on Oct. 1 and most would call it a success, judged strictly by the number of green-power projects it has attracted. . .
• Fly-by of World's Largest Solar PV Farm in Ontario--Video of Enbridge's 80 MW solar PV plant near Sarnia . . .
• Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff for Renewable Energy: Lessons from Europe--An important consideration in that analysis is emerging evidence from Germany that large-scale penetration of renewable energy can in fact serve to moderate electricity price volatility, and so reduce average electricity prices over time. . .
• It's Official: Ontario Third in North American 2009 Solar PV Capacity--Now in a Race for Second with New Jersey . . .The Canadian province pushed aside Florida with an installation of 46 MW of solar PV and was only behind New Jersey, 57 MW, and California with 212 MW according to a report by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). . .
• Ontario Splits MicroFIT Tariff into Two Tranches--The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) revised the microFIT tariff in the province's groundbreaking feed-in tariff program on August 13, 2010, splitting the tariff into two tranches. . . CanSIA Expects Record Year . . .
• London Free Press: Florida Company Drawn to Ontario Feed-in Tariffs--Ontario’s Green Energy Act and its feed-in tariff program with spurring development. “There is no question the FIT makes it easier for suppliers and developers to come here — they get a good, long-term contract and a good market,” said Josie Hernandez, spokesperson for Next Era, based in Florida, said Tuesday. . .“We have been looking here for some time and now, with the FIT program, this is the time for development,” said Hernandez. . .
• CanWEA Calls for Small Wind Feed-in Tariffs in Ontario--The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) has called on the Ontario government to offer feed-in tariffs designed for small wind turbines. . .
• Renewable Energy Update from Ontario: Feed-in Tariff Yields Strong Market Response by Jose Etcheverry--The Ontario Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff Program has resulted in a massive response from Ontarians wanting to develop renewable energy projects and provides clear guidance for solving the challenges faced by the province’s electricity sector . . .
• Ontario Awards Feed-in Tariff Contracts for $9 Billion in Private Investment--Nearly 19% of Capacity Goes to Community and Aboriginal Groups . . . In another in a series of stunning announcements from Ontario, the provincial power authority has awarded connections and contracts for 2,500 MW of new renewable generation capacity under its precedent-setting feed-in tariff program. . .
• Globe & Mail: Ontario takes green lead with record $8-billion energy investment--Mike O’Sullivan, senior vice-president of development at NextEra [FPL], said FIT was such a well-designed program that it “will bring in all shades and colours of money from all parts of the world.”. .
• Proposed Feed-in Tariff Price Schedule, OPA Stakeholder Engagement Session 4, April 7, 2009 (background assumptions for setting the prices in Ontario's FIT program)
• Ontario Reaches 46 MW Solar PV in 2009--The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) reports that 40 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) contracts were in commercial operation by the end of 2009. This represents about 46 MW of installed DC capacity, the industry's standard notation. In a few short months Ontario has become a major market for solar PV in North America. . .
• Presentation by Paul Gipe on Ontario's World Class FIT Policy for MaRS 29 Jan 2010
• Globe & Mail: 2009 biggest year yet for Canadian wind power--Ontario's new program is a "ground-breaking initiative," Mr. Hornung said, and not only because it's guaranteed pricing has made projects more financially secure. . . It also includes a streamlined project approval process, incentives for local manufacturing, and huge transmission investments that will make it easier to deliver wind power to the electricity grid. . .
• Ontario's 8 MW of Power to the People--Huge Response to Ontario's Feed-in Tariff Launch--1,300 MW of Solar PV Applications--6,300 MW of Wind Applications . . .
• Toronto Star: Green power to the people by Tyler Hamilton--Plan to boost renewable projects at the local level has beaten all expectations since its October launch. . .
• Toronto Star: Ontario solar plant to create 500 jobs by Tyler Hamilton--Solar module maker Canadian Solar Inc. is preparing to establish a manufacturing facility in Ontario that will create 500 direct jobs to take advantage of a provincial green-energy program that mandates local content. . .
• Globe & Mail: Solar industry lauds Ontario incentives by Richard Blackwell--Government incentives such as Ontario's new "feed-in tariff" are crucial to attracting investment to the renewable energy business, solar power executives say, but only if the subsidies remain stable over the long term. . .
• Wall Street Journal: Ontario's Feed-In-Tariff An Opportunity For Celestica by Stuart Weinberg--Ontario's recently unveiled feed-in-tariff is an opportunity for Celestica Inc. (CLS) and it appears the company has no intentions of squandering it. . .
• Ontario Will Pay Farmers 14.5 cents/kWh for Their Wind Generation--The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) has confirmed that it will pay Ontario farmers $0.145 CAD/kWh for their wind generation under the province's new feed-in tariff program launched October 1, 2009. . .
• Community Power: Renewable Energy As If People Matter Presentation by Paul Gipe for OSEA Community Power Conference on November 15, 2009
• Community Power 101 Presentation by Paul Gipe for OSEA's Community Power Conference on November 14, 2009
• Globe & Mail: New rules could fuel green bonanza--Ontario's new Green Energy Act could pump as much as $4.5-billion into the hands of the province's renewable energy companies, utilities and power distribution firms. . .
• Ontario FIT Program Off to a Cautious Start by Jon Worren--once the dust from the initial excitement over the Green Energy and Green Economy Act has settled, a number of questions emerge about Ontario’s FIT rules concerning the long-term potential for the renewable energy industry in Ontario . . .
• Ontario Rockets to Top Ten of Solar PV in North America--With activation October 5th of a 9.1 megawatt (MW) solar PV project in eastern Ontario, the Canadian province has rocketed to the top ten solar jurisdictions in North America. . .
• Ontario Launches Comprehensive System of Feed-in Tariffs--Ontario today launched the province's long-awaited program of feed-in tariffs in response to its ground-breaking Green Energy Act. . .
• Official OPA Feed-in Tariff (Price) Schedule
• Ontario FIT Domestic Content Requirement
• Sustainable energy plan has rivals green with envy by Tyler Hamilton, Toronto Star--George Smitherman may have his eyes on Mayor David Miller's job, but as the province's minister of energy and infrastructure he's got a few things to wrap up before taking the plunge into Toronto politics. He'll want to protect his legacy as the man who turned Ontario into a green-energy titan. . .
• Summary of Ontario Power Authority Feed-in Tariff Program: Turning Power Planning on Its Head--This OPA presentation is significant for two reasons. First it is a good overall summary of OPA's proposed feed-in tariff program. And second, and probably more important slide 5 which illustrates the change in management thinking at OPA in how to view integrating renewables into Ontario's power system. . .
• Ontario Proposes Highest Biogas Tariffs in North America--Coupled with expected changes in connection requirements, the new tariffs may lead to a boom in new biogas construction. . .
• GEAA Feed-In Tariff Analysis: Part II by Paul Gipe, June 4, 2009
• Paul Gipe Presentation to OSEA Members on OPA's FIT Application Process, June 4, 2009
• OPA's FIT Application Process by Paul Gipe, June, 2009 (A brief introduction to the new OPA application process.)
• Paul Gipe Presentation on Third Industrial Revolution May 28, 2009
• Paul Gipe Presentation to Ontario Power Summit May 26, 2009
• Paul Gipe Presentation to AgriEnergy Producers Associtation of Ontario May 22, 2009.pdf
• Manufacturers' hope to set up parts supply network for boom: Niagara gets ready for wind by Tyler Hamilton, Toronto Star
• Town unruffled over wind farm by Patty Winsa, Toronto Star
• Ontario Revises Proposed Feed-in Tariffs--The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) issued revised draft feed-in tariffs at its stakeholder workshop May 12, 2009. . .
• Ontario's Green Energy Act Enters Final Stretch--Ontario's powerful Minister of Energy and Infrastructure George Smitherman began the third and final reading of the Green Energy and Green Economy Act May 5. . .
• McGuinty Government Signals Amendments and Policy Changes to Green Energy Plan --Reviewing future policy opportunities to address energy technologies including geothermal, solar thermal, combined heat and power and small scale wind. . .
• North American Feed-in Tariffs Big Day: Ontario & Vermont Move--The march toward aggressive renewable energy policy in North America took a long stride Tuesday, May 5th when both Ontario and Vermont moved feed-in tariff legislation toward law. . .
• Huge Interest in Ontario's Proposed Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff Program--The survey of those interested in developing solar, wind, hydro, and biomass resources under the province's potentially groundbreaking program revealed that there's as much as 15,000 MW of interest. . .
• Scotia Capital: Crunching the Numbers on Ontario’s Proposed Feed-In Tariff Program April 2009--an analyis of the estimated rated of return for various technologies from Ontario's proposed feed-in tariffs. . .
• Ontarians Pay More for Electricity Per Month Than Germans--It seems counterintuitive. German residential consumers pay less for electricity per month than those in Ontario. . .
• Paul Gipe GEAA Stakeholders April 20 2009 Presentation
• Paul Gipe presentation to Ontario Green Municipalities on Feed-in Tariffs April 17, 2009 GEAA Feed-in tariff analysis: Part I by Paul Gipe (Comments on the Ontario Power Authority's proposed feed-in tariff policy.)
• Paul Gipe presentation to Ontario Green Municipalities on Feed-in Tariffs April 3, 2009
• Solar Incentives: Could Ontario Be the Next Germany? by Greg Boutin and Jon Worren, Riverdale Partners--The introduction of Ontario's Green Energy Act, modeled after the successful German Feed-in Tariffs, is expected to fuel rapid growth in the clean energy market in Ontario. . .
• Chabot-Gipe PIM Ontario Wind T1-T2 2009 Tariffs-825-V90-2900-Rev PI.xls Table with multiple tabs calculating T1 and T2 wind tariffs.
• Chabot-Gipe PIM Ontario Wind T1-T2 2009 Tariffs-825-V90-2900-Rev PI.qpw Table with multiple tabs calculating T1 and T2 wind tariffs.
• 1,200 'green jobs' in works for Kingston by Tyler Hamilton, Toronto Star
• Everbrite Solar to build 150MW thin-film manufacturing plant in Ontario by Tyler Hamilton
• Presentation by Paul Gipe at Power Luncheon on March 9, 2009
• Solar energy giants discovering Ontario: Toronto Star--A coming green-energy law and the promise of long-term incentives for producers of renewable power have put Ontario on the radar of some big-name solar companies looking for certainty in a volatile marketplace. . .
• Ontario Proposes Precedent-Setting Renewable Tariffs--Ontario's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, George Smitherman, announced today that the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) will be establishing a system of feed-in tariffs as a result of the pending Green Energy and Green Economy Act. . .
• The Green Energy and Green Economy Act: Green Energy Unbounded by George Vegh--The Ontario electricity sector has undergone a few paradigm shifts over the last decade. None have been as anxiously anticipated as the reforms proposed in the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, which received First Reading on February 23, 2009. . .
• Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy Act: Turbo-Charging Renewable Generation and Conservation by Bordner Ladner Gervais
• Ontario Green Energy Act Introduced
-- On February 23, Ontario's powerful Minister of Energy and Infrastructure George Smitherman introduced into provincial parliament in Toronto Bill 150 to be known as the Green Energy Act. . .
• Bill 150, Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009: Main Status Page
• Bill 150 (html version)
• Bill 150 (pdf version)
• Green Energy Act Summary
• Compendium: Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009
• Vast job opportunities" in Green Energy Act, Minister says Ottawa Citizen. Homeowners in Ontario will be forced to conduct energy audits before selling their property as part of new legislation introduced Monday at Queen’s Park. . .
• Province to fast-track wind turbine projects By Tyler Hamilton, Toronto Star. Municipalities will lose the power to decide how close wind turbines can be to residential properties and environmentally sensitive areas under proposed green-energy legislation being tabled Monday. . .
• Switch to green jobs crucial for Ontario, McGuinty says Toronto Star. A switch from making cars to making wind turbines may not be easy for workers in Ontario but green technology is key to boosting the province's economy, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Monday ahead of tabling new legislation. . .

On March 21, 2006, Premier Dalton McGuinty, and Ontario Minister of Energy Donna Cansfield announced the launch of Ontario's Standard Offer program in a press conference at Photowatt's assembly hall in Cambridge, Ontario. The announcement followed a two-year campaign for implementation of Advanced Renewable Tariffs (ARTs) or Electricity Feed Laws by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association.

Ontario's policy is being called the most progressive renewable energy policy in North America in two decades.

Below are a series of links to articles about OSEA's ARTs campaign, current discussion and commentary on Ontario's implementation of Standard Offer Contracts, and formal documents by the Ontario Power Authority and the Ontario Energy Board on the program.

• Implementation Documents by the Ontario Power Authority
• Current Articles & Commentary
• Early Supporting Documents

Implementation Documents by the Ontario Power Authority

• Ontario's Standard Offer Program Home Page
• Ontario's Standard Offer Program Development Archive
• Minister of Energy Donna Cansfield's Directive to OPA to implement a program of Standard Offer Contracts by the fall of 2006
• Draft Contract for RESOP
• Final Rules for RESOP
• OPA and OEB Recommendations for the SOP
• Background
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Report from the OEB and OPA - Standard Offer Program

Current Articles & Commentary

• CanSIA Calls for Dramatic Growth of Solar PV in Ontario Through Higher Tariffs--In a much anticipated--and long awaited--release, the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) has publicly called on the Ontario government to increase the tariffs for solar photovoltaics and boost their expectations of what solar can do in the province. . .
• Giving alternative energy a leg up by Peter Gorrie, Toronto Star, Jan 10, 2009--In about a month, Energy and Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman will unveil his plan for Ontario's renewable energy future. . .
• Paul Gipe Presentation to Ontario Ministry of Energy Staff, November, 2008
• Paul Gipe Presentation to Ontario EnNGOs October 2008
• Paul Gipe Presentation to the Chatham, Ontario Rotary Club October 22, 2008
• Globe & Mail: Lessons from Germany's energy renaissance
• Ontario Green Energy Act web site
• Renewables without Limits: Moving Toward Advanced Renewable Tariffs by Updating Ontario's Groundbreaking Standard Offer Program (OSEA's 2007 Report)
• Solar power heats up with new Ontario projects Globe & Mail January 22, 2008
• The Ontario Solar Initiative.pdf (9 mb)
• The Ontario Solar Initiative: 1,000 MW Solar PV by 2017
• Setting the Price For PV for the Advanced Renewable Tariffs Program In Ontario (CanSIA 2006)
• Ontario Standard Offer Contracts Awarded
• Ontario: The new frontier for alternative energy
• Comments on the Intent of Ontario's Standard Offer Contract Program to Serve Farmers, Co-ops, Communities, and Homeowners
• Queen's Park September 2006 Forum on Ontario's Standard Offer Program
• Washington Post on Ontario's Standard Offer/Renewable Tariff Program
• North America's First Electricity Feed Law: Standard Offer Contracts in Ontario, Canada by Paul Gipe and Bernard Chabot in DEWI Magazin (pdf)
• The Development of Renewable Electricity Policy in the Province of Ontario by Ian H. Rowlands, University of Waterloo (pdf)
• Solar Electricity and Waterloo Region Powerpoint presentation by Ian Rowlands on Solar PV and Ontario's Standard Offer Contracts (pdf)
• Ontario on Path to Become Solar Powerhouse of Canada
• Government of Ontario Announcement of Standard Offer Contract Program (Advanced Renewable Tariffs)
• Solar Tariffs Spurring PV Growth in North America
• CBC Radio Interview with Hermann Scheer on Ontario's Standard Offer Contracts
• The Power of Language: ARTs are not SOCs
• Ontario's Standard Offer Contracts for North American Windpower
• Ontario Takes Historic Step Towards Energy Future
• Summary Details: OSEA's Advanced Renewable Tariffs (Standard Offer Contracts)
• Ontario's Standard Offer Contracts--A Summary
• What Standard Offer Contracts (Advanced Renewable Tariffs) Mean to Ontario's Rural Landowners
• Why Standard Offer Contracts are Good Value to Ontario
• Advanced Renewable Tariffs in Europe
• Advanced Renewable Tariffs (Standard Offer Contracts) in Ontario: Chronology
• Background to Standard Offer Contracts or Advanced Renewable Tariffs
• Developing Ontario's Community Power Potential with Advanced Renewable Tariffs (Standard Offer Contracts)
• Question and Answers on Standard Offer Contracts
• How Ontario's Renewable Tariffs Compare with Europe & California
• Endorsement of Ontario's Standard Offer Contract (ARTs) Program
• CanSIA Background on PV and Standard Offer Contracts, March 21, 2006
• Staggering Solar PV Growth in Germany in 2005
• Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty Endorses Standard Offer Contracts for Community Renewable Development

Early Supporting Documents

In December 2004 the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) was commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Energy to propose a policy for developing community-owned renewable power projects in the province.

OSEA submitted a detailed report on Standard Offer Contracts for the Ministry in January, 2005. Standard Offer Contracts is the Ministry of Energy's preferred decription for Advanced Renewable Tariffs that OSEA had proposed for use in Ontario in early 2004. The report, which describes the difference between German, French, and Spanish electricity feed laws and how they can be adapted to the North American market, went through several iterations during the spring of 2005.

The report argues that "standard offer contracts", which fix a long-term standard price for every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced, would unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of Ontarians, provide more renewably-generated electricity, more economic activity, and more jobs in the manufacturing of wind turbines and solar panels than any other means available to the province.

• Powering Ontario Communities (OSEA's May 2005 Report to the Ministry of Energy on Standard Offer Contracts)
• Summary Table: Proposed Ontario Standard Offer Contracts (Advanced Renewable Tariffs)
• Could Canadians Pave the Way for Renewable Tariffs in North America?
• OSEA's Proposed Renewable Energy Tariffs for Ontario
• Answers to common questions about Renewable Energy Tariffs and Bidding (RFPs)
• Developing Ontario's Community Power Potential with ARTs
• Community Wind: The Third Way
• Electricity: Lessons from Germany by Hermann Scheer
• Ontario's Ruling Party Endorses Progressive Renewable Energy Policy--A First in North America
• To Spur Rural Economic Development--National Farmers Union Endorses Advanced Renewable Tariffs
• International Environmental Coalition Endorses Renewable Energy Tariffs for Ontario
• Expert Tells MPPs Ontario Could Get 10% of Electricity from Wind
• Ontario Farmers Could Win Big with New Wind Tariffs
• OSEA Fires Up Farmers with Wind Talk
• Germans Investing Billions in Solar Electricity in 2004: Ontario Lags Well Behind
• Smart Generation: Powering Ontario With Renewable Energy--Link to DSF Report
• Community Wind Slide Show by Paul Gipe (12.4 MB ppt)
• The cost of OSEA's ARTs campaign for wind in 2012 (less 1/2 cent/kWh) (xls)
• The effect of building 8,000 MW of wind under OSEA's ARTs campaign would offset the equivalent generation as that from Lakewood + Lennox + Lampton coal-fired plants (xls)

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