Ontario's Green Energy Act
Our Path to a Green Economy and a Cleaner Environment
The
Green Energy Act: A Vision for the Future
Ontario’s Green Energy Act (GEA), and related amendments to other legislation, received Royal Assent on May 14, 2009. Regulations and other tools needed to fully implement the legislation were introduced through the month of September ,2009, as part of a ten step plan to bring the GEA to life.
The landmark Green Energy Act will boost investment in renewable energy projects and increase conservation, creating green jobs and economic growth to Ontario.
This legislation is part of Ontario’s plan to become a leading green economy in North America.
GEA will :
- Spark growth in clean and renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar, hydro, biomass and biogas in Ontario.
- Create the potential for savings and better managed household energy expenditures through a series of conservation measures.
- Create 50,000 jobs for Ontarians in its first three years.
“Our ambition is to increase the standard of living and quality of life for all Ontario’s families. That is best achieved by creating the conditions for green economic growth.”
George Smitherman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.
Green
Jobs for Ontarians, Today and Tomorrow
Building a stronger, greener economy with lasting, well-paying jobs for Ontarians is a key goal of the GEA. This would be achieved by:
- Providing certainty and clarity in the approvals process for renewable energy projects.
- Enabling domestic content requirements for renewable energy projects, creating job opportunities here at home.
- Helping local communities and First Nation and Métis communities to build, own and operate their own renewable energy projects.
- Expanding our electricity grid to make it “smart”
North
America’s Renewable Energy Leader
The GEA will expedite the growth of clean, renewable sources of energy, like wind, solar, hydro, biomass and biogas, helping Ontario become North America’s leader in renewable energy.
Specifically this would be achieved by:
- Creating a Feed-in Tariff that guarantees specific rates for energy generated from renewable sources.
- Establishing the right to connect to the electricity grid for renewable energy projects that meet technical, economic and other regulatory requirements.
- Establishing a one stop streamlined approvals process, providing service guarantees for renewable energy projects that meet regulatory requirements.
- Implementing a 21st century “smart” power grid to support the development of new renewable energy projects, and prepare Ontario for new technologies like electric cars.
Creating
a Culture of Conservation
Using less energy is the smart strategy for our economy and our environment. Energy conservation allows the province to simultaneously create green jobs, improve productivity and reduce emissions, while at the same time helping Ontarians to manage their energy costs.
The GEA will continue to make energy conservation a priority in the province by setting the stage for:
- Making energy efficiency a key purpose of Ontario’s building code.
- Establishing North American leading energy efficiency standards for household appliances, making energy efficient products more available to more consumers.
- Creating new financing tools to help consumers manage the up-front costs of small-scale renewable energy projects.
- Setting electricity conservation targets for local utilities and helping them to deliver effective programs to households and businesses.
- Requiring targeted conservation measures to protect low income Ontarians from increases in energy prices.
Quick
Facts
Ontario has already brought more than 1,200 megawatts of new renewable energy on-line since October 2003.
New renewable energy projects already in place or under construction in Ontario since 2003 represent a total investment of over $4.6 billion.
The GEA builds on the Ontario government’s earlier initiatives, including plans to eliminate coal from the power supply. Coal-fired generation is the single largest source of air pollution in Ontario and eliminating it from the supply mix will be the largest climate change initiative in Canada.
Learn
More
News Release: February 23, 2009, Ontario's Bold New Plan for a Green Economy
Backgrounder: February 23, 2009, Ontario's Bold New Plan for a Green Economy
Backgrounder: Proposed Green Energy Act Attracts Industry-wide Support
Bill 150: An Act to enact the Green Energy Act, 2009
Compendium: Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009
The Ontario Energy Efficiency Resource
Guide aims to provide current information about the many programs, financial incentives,
and resources that are available to help Ontarians to conserve and to achieve greater
energy efficiency.
Click here to download
your copy of the guide.
