The Green Energy Act will be introduced to the Legislature by George Smitherman today. If he intends the Bill to be effective, it will hopefully contain steps to guarantee:
- a right to connect to the electrical grid;
- fair and predictable pricing for electricity sold to the grid;
- easier siting of green energy projects, despite NIMBYs, and
- less smothering red tape of Approvals, especially from the Ministry of the Environment.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
The Green Energy Act is something Ontario needs. Personally I think it’s something that will help turn our economy around, and send us in the right direction. Renewable energy is going to boom, and we do not want to fall behind and continue to lag unlike many European countries who are well ahead of us in Energy management…
If passed, this act will be a catalyst for the use and invention of renewable energy technologies. This is what we need to turn around our short-sighted decision-making when it comes to energy generation. Eagerly await the passing of this Act.
My concerns are these:
1. The Province is apparently taking from the municipalities their opportunity for input regarding the siting of windfarms;
2. By doing #1 the Province is taking back to Toronto the decision-making process regarding renewable projects (again windfarms);
3. By defeating the NIMBYs, Mr. Dalton is also apparently ignoring the interests of the residents in those rural areas, where most windfarms will be located, favouring commercial (read: job producing) interests;
What is needed, I think, is an effort by the Provincial Government, other than a photo-op Bill and announcement, to convince the residents of Ontario that these are good! This could be achieved by forums across the Province, the forums to include Planners, Scientists, Environmentalists, Property Assessment analysts and yes, those businesses which will set up the windpower projects.
These parties could best present to the rural and urban interests all of the issues and answer the questions at that level, hopefully to avoid misunderstandings and antagonisms which are likely to arise from legislation imposed from Queens Park.