Ontario feed-in tariff update
Just an add to the recent post regarding the Ontario government and its plan to embrace a standard offer contract approach to renewable energy development in the province.
I’m hearing that, on top of opening up the grid to solar, wind, biomass and micro-hydro projects under what is likely to be 10 megawatts, the energy ministry is also seriously considering the creation of some kind of revolving fund that would offer low-interest loans for project planning and feasibility studies.
I’ve heard figures as high as $100 million.
This would be another terrific development, not unlike an experimental “green loan” program recently set up by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund and being tested by Tridel.
The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association recommended such a fund in its proposal to the ministry. It called it a “Community Power Innovation Fund,” which would set aside $5 million for 2005 and $10 million in 2006 initially. You can find details of it on page 54 of OSEA’s proposal.
Tyler Hamilton is senior energy reporter and columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper. In addition to this Clean Break blog, Tyler writes a weekly column of the same name that discusses trends, happenings and innovators in the cleantech market. This blog is a personal project started in April 2005. It is not an official blog of the newspaper. Tyler can be reached at tyler@cleanbreak.ca
September 19th, 2005 at 10:01 am
I just received an email from the energy ministers office suggesting that we will be hearing a decision by the end of the year (not mid-september unfortunately). So hopefully we will be seeing some fairly good news. I know it would definately help me out if they came to a decision right now, as I am currently looking into a small off-grid system.
September 19th, 2005 at 12:08 pm
Apparently the ministry felt no need to make a formal announcement of its plans because of media coverage they already received. Energy Minister Dwight Duncan confirmed the plan in an speech last week. I’m guessing the announcement you say will take place near the end of the year will be details of the actual program and timing of implementation.