Feed-in tariffs featured in Ontario’s Green Energy Act

In December of 2008, Ontario’s Premier Dalton McGuinty and Energy Minister George Smitherman revealed a proposition called the Green Energy Act, in attempt to grant priority to Renewable Energy Sources to Manage Global Climate Change, Protect the Environment and Streamline Project Approvals.  In addition to bringing more renewables to Ontario, this plan would create more energy efficient methods to help conserve energy.  The Public Consultation period extends until March 26, 2009 and can be found here.  

Ontario’s enthusiasm for passing the Act is similar to the German EEG, including German-style feed-in tariffs. These tariffs are very good for renewable energy, such as solar power, and convenient for Ontario as well, since the province has better insolation on average than Germany and the cost of modules in North America is much cheaper than it is in Europe.  In terms of rooftop solar PV, it will cost C$80.2 (48.9 EUR cent) for energy less than 10kW and C$53.9 (32.9 EUR cent) for energy greater than 500kW.  In addition, tariffs for ground mounted solar PV stations come out to C$44.3 (27 EUR cent) for anything less than 10MW. 

Currently, Ontario has about 800MW of installed renewable power capacity (~95% wind) with around 2,500MW agreed to be brought into commercial operations in the near future.  The biggest solar PV market in the U.S. by far, California, boasted 500MW of PV installed at the end of 2007 with New Jersey following with 69MW.