Green Energy Rules Make Ontario, Canada a N. A. Leader

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario is Canada's leading province in wind power, producing enough electricity to power more than 300,000 homes.
• The Green Energy Act will aid Ontario's commitment to eliminate coal-fired power by 2014 -- the single largest climate change initiative in Canada.
• Ontario has gone from 10 turbines in 2003, to more than 670 spinning today and will have 975 by 2012.

It seems to me they seem to have a Well Defined Energy Plan. Maybe some of there Green Energy Solutions would rub off on the Neighbor to the South. Scotty

September 24, 2009

New regulations introduced in Ontario, Canada, will create thousands of jobs in the new green economy under Ontario's Green Energy Act. Ontario's new regulations provide a stable investment environment where companies know what the rules are -- giving them the confidence to invest in Ontario, hire workers, and produce and sell renewable energy. The major components of Ontario's Green Energy Act include:

• A Feed-In-Tariff program, which allows individuals and companies to sell renewable energy -- like solar, wind, water, biomass, biogas and landfill gas -- into the grid at set rates.
• Domestic content requirements, which would ensure at least 25 per cent of wind projects and 50 per cent of solar projects be produced in Ontario -- requirements for solar will increase by January 1, 2011 and wind will increase by January 1, 2012.
• A streamlined approvals process and a service guarantee to bring developers greater certainty.
• Regulations for setting wind turbines certain distances from houses, roadways and property lines.
• A new Ontario Renewable Energy Facilitation Office -- a one-stop shop to help renewable energy projects get off the ground faster.

More than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created under the Act. Investments in new renewable energy projects already in place or under construction in Ontario since 2003 exceed $4 billion. "Ontario has taken the lead in Canada and set the ground rules for doing green business. Now investors, renewable energy companies and skilled workers can really move our green economy forward," said Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario. "Ontario wants green energy business. These regulations will help ensure industry and municipalities that jobs will be created, investment is committed and that the renewable energy industry grows across the province," said George Smitherman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. QUICK FACTS

• Ontario is Canada's leading province in wind power, producing enough electricity to power more than 300,000 homes.
• The Green Energy Act will aid Ontario's commitment to eliminate coal-fired power by 2014 -- the single largest climate change initiative in Canada.
• Ontario has gone from 10 turbines in 2003, to more than 670 spinning today and will have 975 by 2012.

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