The Ontario Green Energy Act (GEA), formally the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009, introduced in the Ontario legislature on February 23, 2009, is intended to expand renewable energy production, encourages energy conservation and create green jobs. Among many clauses, the GEA is best known for creating a number of feed-in tariffs for different types of energy sources. Notable among these is the microFIT program for small non-commercial systems under 10 kilowatts, and FIT, the larger commercial version which covers a number of project types with sizes in the megawatts. The GEA has been highly controversial in Ontario for the initial rate rates, up to 80.2 cents / kWh for small microFIT systems. It has been controversial outside of Ontario made in Ontario clauses which requires a certain amount of Ontario labor and manufacturing. Changes to the program and rates, some of them applied retroactively, had added confusion and complaints about the way the program is managed. The GEA was a major issue during the 2011 provincial elections, with the PC party threatening to cancel it outright if elected, while the Liberals supporting a primary plank of their re-election platform.

Prior to the introduction of the GEA, Ontario. These included the Energy Conservation Leadership Act, the Energy Efficiency Act, and the November 2006 Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program. The Standard Offer, also known as SOP or RESOP for short, is a 20-year feed-in tariff for hydro, wind, solar (PV) and biomass projects. RESOP tariffs were relatively low, 42 cents / kWh for PV and 11 cents / kWh for other forms of energy. At the time, RESOP was named North America’s first true feed-in tariff program. In practice, it was found that the RESOP program had significant administrative overhead that eroded the value of the program. In order to connect a generation project, the provider has not only to meet the requirements for the equipment, but also to the point of view of the grid. This process was not streamlined, and often required, in the proper sequence. Certain areas of the Ontario distribution grid were also placed off-limits for development, due to load considerations. Even then, there were stakeholders at the municipal level that could block development at any time as part of local building codes. Due to the presence of fixed costs, the administrative overhead, RESOP RESOV developments being wind, 28% biomass, with RESOP developments being wind, 28% biomass,

RESOP included a built-in two-year review process that started in 2008. During this period, the worldwide industry was also exploring a number of different ways to implement incentive programs. The main contenders were the feed-in tariff system, like RESOP, and emissions-trading systems like the UK’s Renewable Bond or New Jersey’s Solar Renewable Energy Certificate. In 2008, Ernst & Young published Renewable energy country attractiveness indexes for the first quarter of 2008, which demonstrated that Germany’s FIT program was far more successful, delivering more power at lower costs. An earlier report from UC Berkeley shows that job creation is more important than fossil fuels, another argument in favor of the German-style program, which was then considered a great success. With the success of FIT programs, and in response to RESOP issues, a number of stakeholders suggested an expansion of the program with higher rates and various changes to the connection process to simplify the workload. In particular, it was suggested that additional classes for small systems would have minimal impact on the grid that could be given to an express application process and pre-authorized access to connect. These systems would also be much higher, as in the case of metering, which are often a fixed cost. A number of proposals suggested that they should have minimal impact on the grid that could be given to an express application process and pre-authorized access to connect. These systems would also be much higher, as in the case of metering, which are often a fixed cost. A number of proposals suggested that they should have minimal impact on the grid that could be given to an express application process and pre-authorized access to connect. These systems would also be much higher, as in the case of metering, which are often a fixed cost.

The GEA effort was led by George Smitherman, the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. It was asked that the bill will help the government ensure the province’s future by:

Among the key features of the Act are the following:

MicroFIT is a renewable energy microgeneration program (less than 10kW) in the Province of Ontario, launched in October 2009 following the Green Energy Act 2009, alongside feed-in tariff (FIT) to provide incentives for landowners to generate wind, solar, hydroelectric or other clean energy to sell to the electrical grid. Most applications for microFIT generation have been for solar energy. By December 16, 2009, microFIT issued its first 700 contracts.

Many solar photovoltaic companies have become involved in microFIT installations; the solar panels are also suitable for schools and places of worship. The projects benefit home, farm or business owners by revenue generation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and The Green Energy Act aims to create 50,000 new green-collar jobs by 2012. According to the Ontario Power Authority, homeowners will generate electricity per kilowatt hour:

Installation costs often exceeded $ 50,000 CAN, and only about 9,000 projects were connected to the grid by late 2011 out of over 42,000 applicants. Concerns over islanding, lack of capacity and other problems have occurred in many places, but have not been implemented. Cuts to pay rates generated further controversy.

The signing of the GEA has corresponded to a dramatic increase in the Provincial Adjustment (now called the Global Adjustment). This is the cost of electricity in Ontario. The Global Adjustment is made up of several different cost buckets, but the biggest one is guaranteed energy rates for generators. This is the difference between the two provinces that are guaranteed by the provincial government, and the wholesale electricity rate that they are paid each month. In recent years, the wholesale rate has ranged between 1 and 3 cents per kWh. However, a June 2012 report by Bridgepoint Group Ltd. This is more of a coincidental, rather than attributable to the fixed price for renewable energy. Likewise, the Ontario Energy Board, claimed by the Government of the United States, to be the next largest generator of nuclear power, followed by gas, coal, and hydro generation. In March 2011, the Ontario Government claimed that the combined cost of energy was in the United States. in future years.

Although the Green Energy Act promised to create 50,000 jobs, the Liberals admitted in 2013 that the act had only created 31,000 jobs. Critics charge that even though this is a problematic because the large majority are “indirect” as opposed to “direct” employment. However, a 2011 report by Jim McCarter, Ontario’s Auditor General, found that a large majority of these jobs were in construction and would only exist for more than three years. In addition, McCarter’s report also refers to the fact that it is important for each of the two countries to be more competitive than others. load that the Green Energy Act has actually resulted in a net-loss of employment. A 2013 study by the conservative Fraser Institute stated that “it is necessary to be more efficient,” and “pointed out that: Eighty percent of Ontario’s generation of electricity and electricity. The Auditor-General of Ontario estimates that the total output is surplus and is being exported to the United States. }} The price of exports is determined by the cost of supplying producers to the market at which they are willing to produce it. The quality of the “green” manufacturing jobs created in Ontario has also been questioned. Writing in the National Post, John Ivison noted in 2011 that Eclipsall Energy Corp., a newly created company in Scarborough,

In May 2013, Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Energy Minister, announced that it would be scrapped after the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that they were a violation of WTO regulations. In June 2013, Chiarelli announced that the province’s future Feed-in-Tariff will be less than 500 kW and that a cap of 900 MW will be added for deployment by 2018. For larger projects A competitive bidding system will be created, although it will have been contracted by these changes. In December 2013, Chiarelli announced that it would be reduced in size, but it would be reduced in 2014, in order to comply with the WTO decision. As a result, concern has been expressed that this will lead to the loss of “green” manufacturing jobs in Ontario. In February 2014, Jeff Garrah, CEO of Kingston’s Economic Development Commission (KEDCO), cited the removal of the local content requirements for the bankruptcy of Centennial Global Technology Inc., which in November 2013 had been described as Canada’s “leading national solar panel distributor. ” It was reported that the removal of the local content rules had effectively “pull [ed] the plug on local production.” Describing the Green Energy Act as “an ongoing soap opera,” Garrah said that municipalities across Ontario have become disassembled and have been implemented. manufacturing jobs in Ontario. In February 2014, Jeff Garrah, CEO of Kingston’s Economic Development Commission (KEDCO), cited the removal of the local content requirements for the bankruptcy of Centennial Global Technology Inc., which in November 2013 had been described as Canada’s “leading national solar panel distributor. ” It was reported that the removal of the local content rules had effectively “pull [ed] the plug on local production.” Describing the Green Energy Act as “an ongoing soap opera,” Garrah said that municipalities across Ontario have become disassembled and have been implemented. manufacturing jobs in Ontario. In February 2014, Jeff Garrah, CEO of Kingston’s Economic Development Commission (KEDCO), cited the removal of the local content requirements for the bankruptcy of Centennial Global Technology Inc., which in November 2013 had been described as Canada’s “leading national solar panel distributor. ” It was reported that the removal of the local content rules had effectively “pull [ed] the plug on local production.” Describing the Green Energy Act as “an ongoing soap opera,” Garrah said that municipalities across Ontario have become disassembled and have been implemented. cited the removal of the local content requirements for the bankruptcy of Centennial Global Technology Inc., which in November 2013 had been described as Canada’s “leading national solar panel distributor.” It was reported that the removal of the local content rules had effectively “pull [ed] the plug on local production.” Describing the Green Energy Act as “an ongoing soap opera,” Garrah said that municipalities across Ontario have become disassembled and have been implemented. cited the removal of the local content requirements for the bankruptcy of Centennial Global Technology Inc., which in November 2013 had been described as Canada’s “leading national solar panel distributor.” It was reported that the removal of the local content rules had effectively “pull [ed] the plug on local production.” Describing the Green Energy Act as “an ongoing soap opera,” Garrah said that municipalities across Ontario have become disassembled and have been implemented.