Canada - McGuinty Government continues to build Ontario's Clean Energy Economy

When the program launched in 2009, it included a commitment to review FIT every two years. This commitment was also included in the province's Long-Term Energy Plan, released in November 2010. The review will consider a range of issues, such as:

- FIT price reduction
- Ensuring the long-term sustainability of clean energy procurement
- Continuing to build on the success of Ontario-based manufacturing and clean energy job creation
- Consideration of new technologies and fuel sources
- Local consultations and the renewable approval process (REA)

As a result of this review, new prices for FIT contracts will be carefully developed to balance the interests of ratepayers with the need to encourage investments in new clean energy in Ontario. Going forward, all future clean energy contracts will be subject to the new price schedule.

The province's FIT Program was launched in 2009 and it has helped make Ontario a clean energy leader. It has made it easier and more efficient to bring renewable energy projects of all sizes online, stimulate the economy and create jobs. It has helped replace dirty coal-fired plants with cleaner sources of renewable energy, cleaning up the air, protecting the health of Ontarians and reducing the province's environmental footprint.

Ontarians can provide feedback by answering an online survey or making a written submission at Ontario.ca/FITreview until December 14, 2011.

About the FIT and microFIT Program:
The Ontario Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program allows homeowners, business owners and private developers to generate renewable energy and sell it to the province at a guaranteed price for a fixed contract term. You can apply to the FIT program if you use one or more forms of renewable energy, including wind, waterpower, biomass and biogas, solar photovoltaic (PV) power and landfill gas.

The FIT program, administered by the Ontario Power Authority, is the first comprehensive feed-in tariff program in North America. It is divided into two streams depending on the number of kilowatts of electricity that are created.

The FIT program is available for renewable energy projects greater than 10 kilowatts. It is open to all types of generators, including developers, community groups and even individual homeowners.

The microFIT program is for renewable energy projects of 10 kilowatts or less. This program is of interest to homeowners, farmers and small business owners, as well as institutions, such as schools and places of worship.

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