Earth Equity News

Feed-In Tariffs: Ontario's Experience. By John Lorinc, NYTimes, February 10, 2009. "Less than three years after the Ontario government introduced North America's first feed-in tariff policy to promote small-scale renewable energy, Canadian environmentalists have some advice for decision-makers in the United States: Hang on to your hats. As reported here Monday, several states and cities in the United States are considering a set of energy rate-setting policies that are regarded as pivotal in the growth of green energy in countries like Germany. Feed-in tariffs -- also known as 'standard offer contracts' -- guarantee long-term preferential rates to small renewable energy developers so they can compete on price with conventional (and less costly) forms of power. Beginning in March 2006, Ontario agreed to price small-scale hydro, wind and biomass projects at 11 Canadian cents ($0.9 U.S.) a kilowatt-hour, and 42 Canadian cents ($0.34 U.S.) for solar -- compared to about 5 cents for nuclear, coal, gas and large hydro. The rates were guaranteed for 20 years. So many local wind and solar developers -- as well as homeowners looking to install photovoltaic panels -- applied for Ontario's standard offer that the government's 10-year target cap of 1,000 megawatts was exceeded within a year."