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| Ontario Continues Commitment to Green Energy |
| 2010-03-08 (canadian association for renewable energies) Ontario will create jobs and strengthen the economy, and has launched a five-year ‘Open Ontario Plan’ that was unveiled in the Speech from the Throne by Lieutenant Governor David Onley. The plan includes several initiatives already underway, including the Green Energy Act that will create 50,000 jobs in “new industries that did not exist a few years ago.” In January, Samsung announced the investment of $7 billion to create 2,500 MW of green power and 16,000 jobs, and the government “will soon welcome hundreds of new, clean energy investments in Ontario through its feed-in tariff program which is attracting the interest of the world’s investors and entrepreneurs.” |
| | Budget Ends Support for Wind Energy |
| 2010-03-05 (canadian association for renewable energies) The federal budget did not extend the ecoENERGY for Renewable Power program, and Ottawa now is clearly moving in the opposite direction with respect to efforts to attract wind energy investment and jobs, says the Canadian Wind Energy Association. "The failure to extend and expand the ecoENERGY program will slow wind energy development and reduce our ability to compete with the United States for investment and jobs at a critical time in our economic recovery," says Robert Hornung. "While we remain committed to working with the federal government to find ways to attract new investment in the world's most rapidly growing source of electricity, we are shocked and disappointed that it has chosen not to extend a cost-effective program that facilitated record levels of investment and job creation in Canada's wind energy sector in the midst of the recession of 2009." The US government's key incentive program will provide support for new wind projects until the end of 2012, but Canada's ecoENERGY program has allocated all its funding and is supporting no wind energy projects built after March 2011, explains CanWEA. The fact that federal funds are no longer available to support new wind energy projects in Canada means wind energy investors will increasingly shift new investments and job creation out of Canada to the greater policy certainty and more attractive investment climate found in the US, it adds. "Federal government incentives have played a critical role in wind energy development in Canada by supporting and complementing provincial government initiatives in this area,” says Hornung."While the federal government continues to identify clean energy and job creation as a priority, the actions taken in the 2010 federal budget make it clear that it has decided to download responsibility for attracting wind energy investment and jobs to provincial governments." The ecoENERGY for Renewable Power program was created in January 2007 and has allocated funding to support deployment of 4,000 MW of new renewable energy projects. By 2020, it is projected that $1 trillion will be invested in wind energy projects around the world, creating 1.75 million jobs. |
| | Budget Includes $100 Million for Clean Energy |
| 2010-03-04 (canadian association for renewable energies) The federal government will establish the ‘Next Generation Renewable Power Initiative’ that will fund $100 million over four years to support clean energy technologies in the forestry sector. It will also provide accelerated Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) class 43.2 for eligible assets to be deducted at 50% per year on a declining balance basis for district energy systems that rely primarily on geothermal heat pumps or active solar systems, to “encourage investment in technologies that contribute to a reduction in GHG emissions and air pollutants, and increase the diversification of Canada's energy supply.” The measures will reduce federal revenues by a small amount in the next two years. Canada is a “global leader in the generation of clean energy, including the production of hydroelectricity. Hydro, solar, wind and other clean and renewable energy technologies have the potential to significantly reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases and help us meet our ambitious climate change objectives, while creating new business opportunities as the global economy transitions towards lower emission pathways.” The budget will provide $1 billion over five years under the Clean Energy Fund to support carbon capture and storage technologies and another $1 billion over five years through the Green Infrastructure Fund for investments in green infrastructure, including sustainable energy projects. To date, Ottawa has used the Clean Energy Fund for three large-scale CCS projects and created the Pulp & Paper Green Transformation Program of $1 billion over three years to support investments which improve the energy efficiency and environmental performance of pump & paper facilities. |
| | Renewable Suppliers Must Register to Tap into $120 Million |
| 2010-03-03 (canadian association for renewable energies) The Ontario Power Authority says service providers and suppliers of renewable energy technologies must apply by March 26 to be included on a vendor list that will be used by school boards and social housing providers in the province to install $120 million of renewable energy projects. Companies that supply and install solar PV, solar thermal water, solar thermal air, geothermal and small wind must meet eligibility criteria. School boards will have access to $50 million through the Ministry of Education, and $70 million is for social housing providers to access through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing. The initiative will support the policy intent of the Green Energy Act by boosting investment in renewable energy projects through the creation of job opportunities. “Enabling renewable energy is a win-win for schools, social housing and all the people of Ontario,” says energy minister Brad Duguid. “This initiative demonstrates the government’s vision in both the Green Energy Act and its efforts to stimulate our economy through improving infrastructure. It will help build a solid customer base for renewable energy technology suppliers, give schools and social housing efficient, even attractive, energy options, and provide clean, renewable energy to the people of Ontario.” In September 2009, the government issued a Request for Information that received 100 submissions, indicating strong interest from the renewable energy technology vendor community. |
| | Ottawa Invests $80 Million in Green Fuel Firm |
| 2010-03-02 (canadian association for renewable energies) The federal ecoENERGY for Biofuels program will fund $79.75 million over seven years to support production of ethanol in Quebec. GreenField’s ethanol facility in Varennes will produce 145 million litres of ethanol a year. Compared with gasoline, grain-based ethanol can reduce GHG emissions by 40% on a life-cycle basis, says NRCan; for biodiesel, the reduction can be 60%. The federal government will invest $1.5 billion over nine years through the ecoENERGY for Biofuels program. |
| | Federal Budget Must Provide Leadership on Green Jobs |
| 2010-03-01 (canadian association for renewable energies) Ottawa must make Canada a leader in creating green jobs in this week’s federal budget, and include a Green Energy Carbon Tax Refund for low-income residents that would cost $37 billion, according to the Alternative Federal Budget proposed by the Policy Alternatives think tank. Renewable energy should receive funding of $551 million per year for the next three years, which will create 8,000 jobs. |
| | $8 Million Loan for Windfarm |
| 2010-02-26 (canadian association for renewable energies) The City of Summerside will receive a low-cost loan of $8 million to develop an electrical generating windfarm. The funding from Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp will cover the installation of four turbines, interconnection of the grid and construction of related transmission infrastructure. The loan is part of Canada's Economic Action Plan which will provide $2 billion in direct loans to municipalities over two years for housing-related infrastructure projects. "Producing wind energy was made a priority by our province and city, and having the opportunity to borrow this money through Canada's Economic Action Plan has allowed the city to decrease the cost of borrowing,” explains Summerside mayor Basil Stewart. |
| | Casinos Gamble on Green Power |
| 2010-02-26 (canadian association for renewable energies) As part of the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp's ‘Bet On Green’ environmental initiative, the agency will purchase green power offsets for five additional gaming sites from Bullfrog Power, bringing to seven the number of OLG facilities that are fully green-powered. “Our support of 100% green electricity strengthens our commitment to improving the environment and our footprint," explains Rob Moore of OLG. Casino Sault Ste. Marie and the OLG Slots at Georgian Downs, Mohawk Racetrack, Hanover Raceway and Clinton Raceway are the latest casinos to purchase green power. The IT Data Systems centre and Casino Brantford switched to emissions-free electricity in January 2009. OLG now is a major supporter of renewable energy from Bullfrog Power, at 26,000 MWh a year. OLG has committed to sourcing 90% of its electricity from renewables by 2014. "OLG's expanded partnership with Bullfrog is a strong show of support for the advancement of new renewable energy in Ontario," says Tom Heintzman of Bullfrog Power. "OLG's ongoing and increasing commitment to green power with Bullfrog helps to raise awareness about the choice Ontario homes and businesses have to support locally-produced clean, renewable electricity.” |
| | U-Waterloo Receives $1.5 Million for Renewables |
| 2010-02-25 (canadian association for renewable energies) An engineering professor at the University of Waterloo will study the safety of renewable energy technologies and its effects on the health of people and the environment. Siva Sivoththaman will hold the Ontario Research Chair in Renewable Energy Technologies & Health, which involves $300,000 each year for five years from the Council of Ontario Universities. "As these technologies have developed over the last couple of decades, performance and cost-effectiveness have been a focus, but with the steep rise in use of renewable energy sources and manufacturing initiatives, it's the right time to investigate the health and safety element - offering a complete solution for society," explains Sivoththaman. With widespread implementation and final phase approaching for disposal of materials used in renewable energy technologies, as well as the introduction of new materials used in development, evaluating the effect on health and safety is essential, he adds. The research program will develop new technical approaches and guidelines in setting standards to ensure optimal health and safety in the manufacturing, use and end-of-life phases of renewable energy technologies. The Ontario Research Chairs Selection Panel reviewed 13 proposals. |
| | Wind Power Revenue Increases for Boralex |
| 2010-02-25 (canadian association for renewable energies) Boralex says lower sales of Renewable Energy Credits decreased its 2009 revenue, but wind power increased 11% over 2008 to $33.9 million, mainly from the startup of the first two windfarms at Thames River in Ontario, as well as increased production at existing windfarms due to favourable wind conditions and the higher availability rates of its turbines. During 2009, its windfarms generated 235,418 Mwh compared with 145,303 Mwh from its hydroelectric facilities. Boralex is an independent power producer with 29 power stations with total installed capacity of 417 MW in Canada, northeastern US and in France. |
| | EU to Fight Ontario Over Green Energy Act |
| 2010-02-24 (canadian association for renewable energies) Ontario's Green Energy Act is one of the issues being targeted by the European Union in its trade talks with Canada, according to confidential EU briefing notes and reported in Embassy magazine. Last May, Ontario passed the Green Energy Act with feed-in tariffs which requires suppliers to include a percentage of goods and labour from the province. The requirements are 25% local content for wind projects until 2012 and 50% thereafter; 40% for small solar PV projects (<10 kW) this year and 60% after; and 50% for large PV projects now and 60% from 2011 on. “The idea behind the domestic content regulations is to encourage investment, green manufacturing and construction and installation jobs in Ontario," reads one EU document while a second says the EU must “convince the governments of Ontario and Canada to abandon the requirement to use domestically produced equipment to produce renewable electricity in order to benefit from high feed-in tariffs." The EU medium-term objective is to avoid the Ontario initiative becoming a precedent for other provinces. “The policy adopted by Ontario creates a risk that other provinces in Canada will copy this policy and thereby effectively reduce the possibilities for EU producers of renewable energy equipment to sell their products to Canada," it states. Under a section entitled ‘Message to be conveyed,’ the EU alleges that the FIT program may not be consistent with Canada's international trade obligations under the WTO or GATT, and states that the acquisition of electricity at above-market prices by OPA could constitute a subsidy to electricity producers. |
| | Four Atlantic Projects Receive Clean Energy Funding |
| 2010-02-24 (canadian association for renewable energies) The federal government will fund four projects under its $1 billion Clean Energy Fund for demonstration projects that will leverage $3.5 billion from industry and other levels of government. Defence minister Peter MacKay says funding will go to Nova Scotia Power, New Brunswick Power, Wind Energy Institute of Canada and the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy. “Investments in clean energy technologies are a key part of our balanced approach to reducing GHG emissions and climate change,” says MacKay. |
| | Federal Government Supports Renewables Among Farmers |
| 2010-02-23 (canadian association for renewable energies) Agriculture producers who want to use renewable energies will soon have a new financing option from Farm Credit Canada. FCC’s Energy Loan will be available March 1, and help producers and agribusiness operators purchase and install on-farm energy sources from wind, solar, geothermal or biogas. The Energy Loan offers an interest term of up to five years at variable or fixed rates, with monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual payments. “We’re definitely seeing an increase in the number of people across the country that are interested in renewable energy sources to reduce costs and demand on the energy grid,” says Greg Stewart of FCC. “The Energy Loan ensures FCC is taking an active role on the renewable energy front and shows our commitment to improving rural Canada.” A recent FCC survey showed that 60% are considering new ways to find financial value by reducing their environmental impact. The survey, completed in November by 1,172 producers and agribusinesses, revealed that 37% are considering the use of renewable energy sources in their operation. |
| | Canada Invests $40 Million in Green Energy Project |
| 2010-02-23 (canadian association for renewable energies) A federal investment of $40 million will enable one of Canada’s largest and most modern kraft pulp mills to generate green energy from forest biomass. The Zellstoff Celgar Pulp Mill in Castlegar is the first mill to receive funding under the Pulp & Paper Green Transformation Program for its project to create 145 full-time jobs over seven months of construction and allow the mill to generate renewable electricity to meet its own needs and supply some electrons to the BC grid by later this year. “This project shows that smart investments enable pulp mills to increase their capacity to produce renewable energy from forest biomass while providing important forest products for consumers,” says local MP Colin Mayes. Thirty-eight pulp and paper mills across Canada, representing 24 companies, have generated credits under the $1 billion program. |
| | Germany Company Completes Windfarm in Quebec |
| 2010-02-22 (canadian association for renewable energies) REpower Systems has completed construction of a test windfarm in the Gaspe region with Renewable Energy Systems Canada. The joint project, ‘Site Nordique Experimental en Eolien CORUS,; consists of two REpower turbines which are special cold-climate versions of its 2 MW units. The Wind Energy TechnoCentre is the developer and owner of the project. “Our cold climate test facility in Inner Mongolia has already allowed us to prove that our technology can be used reliably, even at extreme temperature fluctuations and temperatures as low as -40º C,” explains Matthias Schubert of the German turbine manufacturer. “Nevertheless, it is important to thoroughly test the climatic conditions on site before we start to install the up to 477 REpower turbines for the Québec tender, which we recently won.“ The project will also train REpower’s local service employees. The humid climate (compared with China) is a particular challenge for the turbine technology, and the Rivière-au-Renard turbines are designed for the demanding conditions of Canada’s 60-Hz grid. |
| | Another Developer Enters Ontario Market for Solar |
| 2010-02-19 (canadian association for renewable energies) Plan B Energy of Toronto has joined forces with MP² Capital of San Francisco to jointly develop, finance, own and operate 10 MW of rooftop solar PV systems under Ontarios feed-in-tariff. “This partnership is a direct reflection of our mutual commitment to advance rooftop solar PV projects in Ontario with real estate owners throughout the province," says Ali Lila of Plan B Energy. "MP² Capital’s deep expertise in renewable energy development and financing will help us further demonstrate that doing business with Plan B Energy is a way for owners and landlords to use what they already have to generate a new, long-term stream of income within their real estate investment.” Mark Lerdal of MP² Capital says Ontario represents “an attractive and exciting market for solar development.” |
| | Feds Fund Energy Sector Initiative |
| 2010-02-18 (canadian association for renewable energies) Young people will gain on-the-job training for jobs in the renewable energy industry as a result of $624,968 funding for the Electricity Sector Council. A Career Focus Initiative will provide training and mentoring to help 60 young people develop skills for long-term employment in the sector. “Through this partnership with the Electricity Sector Council, we will be helping youth enhance their skills and get work experience in electricity and renewable energy,” says energy minister Christian Paradis. The funding is provided through the Sectoral Career Focus Program, one component of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy. |
| | Researchers Suggest Rethink of Renewable Energy Strategy |
| 2010-02-17 (canadian association for renewable energies) Researchers at Queen's University suggest that policy-makers examine the implications of GHG emissions for energy infrastructure, as fossil fuel sources must be rapidly replaced by renewable energies. Their recommendations in the journal ‘Energy Policy’ could help to restructure renewable energy production in a way that will optimize emission reductions. “The energy industry is expanding so rapidly that the dynamic nature of GHG emissions could pass a tipping point in the climate system if we're not careful," says lead researcher Joshua Pearce. The paper proposes dynamic life-cycle analyses to determine carbon-neutral growth rates that will not dramatically increase the level of GHG emissions as the energy industry expands. This means calculating the benefits of wind power by factoring the GHG emissions needed to build mine and manufacture a wind turbine, not just its emissions after installation. Using theor carbon-neutral growth rate, the mitigation potential for a solar facility would be higher if commissioned in China and the solar cells were manufactured in Canada, but that is the opposite of the current trend where manufacturing is in China and deployed in North America. |
| | Canada Cost Ranks Lowest in Grid-Connected Solar |
| 2010-02-16 (canadian association for renewable energies) Canada scores lowest in the world on the cost to install solar PV and connect to the grid, according to the EPRI white paper ‘Solar Photovoltaics: Status, Costs & Trends.’ For a small (<1 kW) off-grid PV system, the cost in 2008 was US$14 per watt; the report does not give an indicative price for large (>1 kW) off-grid systems in Canada. In the United States, the range for small is $7–$9 and $8–$10 for large off-grid systems. For small grid-connected, the range in Canada is $5.60–$6.50 and $5.60–$7.50 for large. In the US, small is $7–$9 and $6.50 for large systems. For off-grid, the US was the least expensive country for small PV systems, and second for large off-grid to Great Britain where the range starts at $7.30. The most expensive off-grid countries were Norway ($31.90) for small and Denmark ($39.20) for large. For grid-connected, Canada was cheapest for small and close behind $5.20 for Japan and $5.40 in Germany for large. At the high end for grid-connected was Norway ($21.20) for small and Denmark ($19.60) for large PV systems. |
| | Walmart Canada Installs Solar and Wind |
| 2010-02-15 (canadian association for renewable energies) Canada scores lowest in the world on the cost to install solar PV and connect to the grid, according to the EPRI white paper ‘Solar Photovoltaics: Status, Costs & Trends.’ For a small (<1 kW) off-grid PV system, the cost in 2008 was US$14 per watt; the report does not give an indicative price for large (>1 kW) off-grid systems in Canada. In the United States, the range for small is $7–$9 and $8–$10 for large off-grid systems. For small grid-connected, the range in Canada is $5.60–$6.50 and $5.60–$7.50 for large. In the US, small is $7–$9 and $6.50 for large systems. For off-grid, the US was the least expensive country for small PV systems, and second for large off-grid to Great Britain where the range starts at $7.30. The most expensive off-grid countries were Norway ($31.90) for small and Denmark ($39.20) for large. For grid-connected, Canada was cheapest for small and close behind $5.20 for Japan and $5.40 in Germany for large. At the high end for grid-connected was Norway ($21.20) for small and Denmark ($19.60) for large PV systems. |
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Updated Wednesday, March 10, 2010 |
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