Canadian farm lobby presents renewable energy proposal

The OFA – representing 38,000 farmers – submitted feedback in December over proposed changes to the government of Ontario’s Electricity Act in the Canadian province.

According to the Environmental Registry of Ontario, the government of Ontario is proposing to “accelerate” new electricity generation in the renewable-rich province, which installed 2.7 GW of solar in 2022.

Changes center on commercial and industrial customers being able to offset their electricity demand by establishing power purchase agreements (PPAs) with renewable generation facilities, spanning wind, solar, biofuel, battery storage and hydropower less than 10 MW.

OFA submitted written feedback to the policy change, which included seven recommendations.

The OFA said regulators prioritizing energy and storage infrastructure sited on commercial and industrial land should “discourage” projects sited on land with certain soils; “prime” agricultural areas, as well as lower priority agricultural lands and rural land, should be considered as a last resort for renewables to protect “Ontario’s finite and declining farm lands”; and developers should be “contractually obligated” to restore environments and land after a renewable project is decommissioned or in the case of a “system failure event.”

Programs establishing net metering systems “must” include collaboration between developers, landowners, local government and the public; and there should be improved public engagement to “encourage compromise between grid capacity restrictions limiting site options, and host site objections,” the OFA said.