Ontario at centre of 'energy renaissance'

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Posted 3 months ago

Editor:

Re: "Governments go for solar power:Wilkie; Biofuels: Little Interest" (Stephen Uhler, October 20, 2009)

Ontario is at the centre of an energy renaissance that will change the way we generate, consume and conserve energy. This includes the elimination of coal-fired generation from Ontario's energy supply and the implementation of more renewables such as solar, wind and biomass.

Ontario has recently launched North America's most comprehensive Feed-in Tariff (FIT). The FIT provides a fair and transparent incentive to encourage all types and sizes of renewable energy development. Biomass producers are eligible for payments of 13.8 ¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for projects of 10

megawatts (MW) or less, and 13 ¢/kWh for projects over 10 MW.

Currently, Ontario Power Generation is exploring the feasibility of converting Ontario's coal-fired units to burn biomass. Test burns have been conducted at all coal plants, with encouraging results. The Ontario government has also established the Atikokan Bio-Energy Research Centre to explore greener energy sources and the viability of converting the Atikokan generating station to cleaner fuels.

Development of biomass as a fuel offers a potential new market opportunity for Ontario's forestry and agriculture industries and communities. The combined initiatives of Ontario and OPG, along with the FIT, are part of our government's commitment to look at opportunities that will achieve our goals of a coal-free, greener and more reliable energy supply mix.

George Smitherman

Deputy Premier,

Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Toronto, ON