35/MINING
June 2009 (www.northernontariobusiness.com) BIOMASS Northern Ontario Business | 35
BIOMASS REPORT Sources of woody biomass for energy
Hydroelectric, biomass, solar potential sparking local optimism
In Ontario there is a push for industrial energy self-sufficiency using bio-fuels. PHOTO SUPPLIED
By V.F. HAAVISTO ergy consumed in Finland, more than occur mixedwood stands comprised fuel purposes.
QUOTE For Northern Ontario Business 25 per cent is generated using woody of coniferous and deciduous species. For aspen poplar, however, it is sil-
E
biomass. Harvesting of forest-based Some species often are considered a viculturally prudent to attempt to in-
nergy costs are rising. Resi- biomass (e.g. logging wastes, stand hindrance to conventional logging. crease growth rates and improve stem
dential and commercial sec- thinning and cleaning operations, etc.) There also stands with balsam poplar, quality on rich sites. Pre-commercial
“Getting off oil tors across Northern Ontario is an ever-increasing lucrative voca- a species for which there is little or no thinning would allow residuals to uti-
is great for the are hurting due to the volatil- tion that has spawned enterprise devel- commercial market. On wetter sites, lize more of the nutrients from the
ity of conventional fossil fuels (e.g. oil, opment in the private sector, providing tamarack may be abundant. All could site and consequently increase growth
economy and the .
natural gas) and electricity Industries, meaningful year-round employment. be available for biomass fuel. rates. Upwards of 50 per cent of the
environment... the commercial enterprises, municipal Woody biomass comes in many Considerable areas of fire-origin stems in mid-rotation aspen poplar
structures, and residences utilize both forms. Mill wastes (e.g. saw and sander trembling aspen and Jack pine that stands could be removed for biomass
goal," he said, “is energy sources to provide lighting, to dust, shavings), or comminuted chips have stagnated due to over-density fuel.
to make Northern power equipment and thermal energy from coarser mill wastes (e.g. bolts, occur throughout the region. These Wildfire destroys much forest each
Ontario look like for process heat and space heating. logs, slabs), forest-based materials (e.g. productive sites should be clearcut, year in Northern Ontario. Most often
Woody biomass is widely used for defective timber, tops/branches), and and appropriate regeneration options coniferous stands are burned. Due to
Northern Europe." self-sufficiency in energy generation woody materials delivered to landfills exercised to keep areas in a productive the possibility of char on stems, saw-
throughout the Scandinavian coun- are all common sources of biomass. .
category Considerable volumes of bio- mills and especially pulpmills, are re-
tries. For example, of all primary en- Throughout Northern Ontario there mass could, therefore, be available for >>> PAGE 36
NOB_June_09_Pro_TH_MC
Servicing the Biomass industry of North America
for the past 23 years.
Offering Services in:
Conceptual Design Detail Engineering
Budget Preparation • Civil / Structural
Feasibility Studies • Mechanical
Procurement • Electrical
PLC / HMI Programming Construction Management
Project Management Startup Assistance
60 Wilson Ave. – Suite 101, Timmins, Ontario, Canada, P4N 2S7, Tel. 705.360.5525
www.cmaeng.com
36/BIOMASS
36 | Northern Ontario Business BIOMASS (www.northernontariobusiness.com) June 2009
Ontario's changing biomass landscape
An interview with MNR Minister Cansfield, and Industry representative
By MIKE SHUSTERMAN
For Northern Ontario Business
!"#$#%&#$!'((%!)*++*,!-$%./,01!2.33#01!456678!!
T
hrough the partnering of the province of Ontario, its
Forest Industry, and our First Nations; the future of &#"!!#!!!
forestry in Ontario is a forever changing landscape.
This partnering future will include a new market &#!!!#!!!
for the province's forest resources, that being biomass and
the resulting bio-fibre, and the timing of this new opportu-
nity cannot come fast enough as the forest industry struggles %#"!!#!!!
with an unprecedented down cycle and the province seeks
new power alternatives. The Minister of Natural Resources
explains the province's approach to this new opportunity and %#!!!#!!!
an industry representative seeks answers to his questions as
you will read in this article on biomass.
Historically forestry in Ontario consisted of trees harvested
$#"!!#!!!
for specific primary products such as pulp, paper or building
products. The remaining portions of the tree and any associ- $#!!!#!!!
ated under-utilized species would be left behind, which many
felt was an opportunity in-waiting. Now, through the vision
of the province, combined with an increased interest in alter- "!!#!!!
native value-added products, non-timber forest products, and
the increasing demand for alternative energy we are seeing a
movement towards new opportunities, such as biomass and ! $776 $779 $777 %!!! %!!$ %!!% %!!& %!!5 %!!" %!!8 %!!6 %!!9 %!!7 %!$!
bio-fibre. '()*+,-.)/01232,.-4 &!!#!!! &!!#!!! &"!#!!! 5!!#!!! 5%!#!!! "!!#!!! "5!#!!! 6&!#!!! 7"!#!!! $#&!!#!!! $#8!!#!!! %#!9"#!!! %#%"!#!!! &#!!!#!!!
Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) Minister Donna :,-+2;0'()*+,-.)/ $6&#!!! %&6#!!! &$5#!!! &"8#!!! 5!$#!!! 577#!!! "&&#!!! 6%6#!!! 7&"#!!! $#$5"#!!! $#59"#!!! $#&&"#!!! $#"!!#!!! %#!!!#!!!
Cansfield explained in an exclusive interview regarding bio- ?-.,0@2;>? 8&#!!! 6%#!!! 67#!!! $%"#!!! 68#!!! 77#!!! 99#!!! 96#!!! 99#!!! $&"#!!! %"!#!!! %&!#!!! %"!#!!! &!!#!!!
mass, that she "sees a bright future in a diversified forest in- A@0@2;>? $$!#!!! $!"#!!! $$"#!!! $""#!!! $""#!!! %&!#!!! %$!#!!! %8"#!!! %8"#!!! 5!!#!!! 57"#!!! &&"#!!! &"!#!!! &6"#!!!
dustry that will not concentrate solely on primary products, BC>(?>2? 8!#!!! $%!#!!! $8!#!!! $6!#!!! $6!#!!! %&"#!!! &6"#!!! "9%#"!! 8!!#!!! 65!#!!! 66!#!!! 7!!#!!! $#&%"#!!!
but rather include alternative biomass fuels, chemicals and at
the same time with the inclusion of our First Nation's people,
so they can contribute their sustainable development ideas". ! !
The province is helping to move this transformation for-
ward with a number of new initiatives, one being their recent-
,
ly announced new wood fibre allocation opportunity "Request
for Expression of Interest" (RFEI) for under-utilized Crown
wood fibre and traditionally undesired species that exist in
our Forests. "Stage 1 of this RFEI was just completed and it is ing these announcements to take us into the future," Cansfield tario to create power and the province will consume it."
expected the process will see businesses acquiring these new added. "This is such a change for the province," Magne added, and
wood fibre allocations by the fall. The response to the RFEI With the rush to jump at these new opportunities stakehold- he could only see positives coming from this change of direc-
was overwhelming with over 130 proposals with a 50/50 split ers were interested to latch on to any data to determine the tion. How this will all play out remains to be seen and Magne
between biomass and bio-fibres, and value-added forest prod- economic feasibility of processing trees and slash for conver- has a number of unanswered questions, such as "What will
ucts, Cansfield explained. sion to products such as power. It so happens the MNR has the rate paid to the generator be for biomass conversion, what
This is a new opportunity for Ontario where we have tradi- completed research into the economics and referred to a Uni- about the carbon credits that are offset by converting bio-
tionally viewed the forest opportunity for building materials versity of Calgary study that outlined the unique opportuni- mass?" He pointed out that the negotiated rate has to provide
.
only It is far more prudent to capture the opportunities that ties presented to northern Ontario. an incentive to the operator to consider spending $50 million
exist elsewhere in the world; otherwise we will be left behind, "Through our transportation networks such as rail and to build the infrastructure to generate power. Once you sign a
Cansfield added. the H20 highway option, with our Great Lakes waterways, contract, Magne explained, you have to produce, so there has
For this to work smoothly, Cansfield said the Ontario Power we have economical methods for a biomass supply route to to be an incentive for the generator to live with this risk. The
Authority (OPA) and the MNR must coordinate their activi- the US Midwest. Transportation is a cost factor that forces us same he explained with the carbon credits," this is a whole
ties. It is why the ministry released the RFEI in conjunction to look at alternative methods to market our new products," new way of thinking, the carbon credits are valuable to the
with the new Green Energy Act, another new provincial ini- Canfield explained. generator."
tiative. Cansfield went on to say how Northern Ontarians will have Magne said that a forest product facility that cannot create
"It was not by coincidence." to begin to think differently. power for sale will not fit the new model.
Denis Magne, EKT 90 Inc's vice president of a Thunder Bay "Look at the abandoned farmland around North Bay for an "The new model sees the forest product as a by-product to
based biomass engineering firm wondered what the limit on example; it is a prime location to grow new bio-fibre crops. power. Power does not have the cycles of traditional forest
the wood fibre supply will be to match the new interest. They have a historical agriculture presence and can make products," he added.
"The MNR is developing a new inventory for biomass and this easy transition to these new value-added opportunities," Change create questions, and only time will tell whether the
bio-fibre," she said. she added. province of Ontario, and its forest industry is ready to em-
" As we have not previously looked at this new opportunity, The new Green Energy Act is an associated dramatic change brace these changes. "We need to diversify the forest industry ,"
the inventory will be achieved through a collective approach .
for the province that can help the forest industry Magne and Cansfield explained and it now appears that the province is
of known harvesting data and opening ñup the forest tenure his firm are well-versed in biomass to power conversions. He providing the necessary tools for this transformation.
to these new firms. A new forest tenure system will be follow- stated that this new Act "provides the right to citizens of On-
IN BRIEF
A push for industrial energy and
Marathon to look into new owners for pulp mill
The Town of Marathon will assess the viability >>> PAGE 35
self sufficiency
of new owners to operate the local pulp mill with luctant to take fire killed timber as furnish for their process- ciency using bio-fuels. This should not be just for the indus-
help from the Ontario government. es. Fire-killed timber, however is ideal for biomass fuel. trial sector. Communities and municipalities can make ef-
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corpora- In areas with shallow soils, or in narrow reserves along fective use of biomass-fueled energy production, especially
tion is providing $67,500 for a feasibility study on waterways, wind-throw may be prevalent. Wind-throw can for district heating. This “Green Energy” (electrical and/or
the purchase and operation of the local pulp mill cover small to very large areas. If the timber in these situ- thermal) and associated infrastructure would be long-term
by former employees. The project will also explore ations is not harvested within the first two years after the .
investments for a community Harvesting of forest biomass
alternate uses for the site’s infrastructure and occurrence, insect damage to the boles will render them would be an effective way to create continuing employment
equipment. undesirable for industrial use, but be suitable for biomass opportunities – a very important consideration for many
fuel. northern communities. Energy dollars, exported with the
Tree mortality or wind-throw can be a symptom of dis- purchase of fossil fuels, would be kept within the region
ease. Trembling aspen and white birch are prone to disease for local benefit. There are adequate amounts of woody
resulting in deterioration and death. The removal of only biomass within reasonable transportation distance of any
Visit us online at insect-killed or diseased trees may not be cost effective from
a biomass harvesting standpoint unless whole areas have
community in the North. Innovative, economically feasible
ways to harvest the materials can be devised or imported
www.northernontariobusiness.com been affected. from countries where technologies have been proven.
In Ontario there is a push for industrial energy self-suffi-
37/BIOMASS
June 2009 (www.northernontariobusiness.com) BIOMASS Northern Ontario Business | 37
What are they doing in Europe?
Northern Ontario's landsacape similar to Europe's resources
Växjö is one of the first to attempt such an energy transformation that has greatly benefitted the city.
PHOTO SUPPLIED
By LUKE RAFTIS There has been keen international inter-
Northern Ontario Business est in the city’s heating system. Technolo-
T
gies such as biomass boilers developed
he ‘Greenest city in Europe’ is not there have already been implemented in
some sun-soaked southern vil- Japan as well as elsewhere in Europe.
lage covered in solar panels, nor In 2005, the city became part of a pro-
a windy costal town surrounded gram to become a model city in terms of
by a forest of wind turbines, but rather energy systems.
the city of Växjö, nestled in the forests of In addition to the current heating sys-
Central Sweden. tems, construction of highly efficient
The city gained the bragging rights to housing units using local materials has
such a title in 2007, when it was awarded begun.
the Sustainable Energy Europe Award by Many of the buildings are essentially
the European Commission for its work to heated by passive means, requiring heat-
reduce its CO2 emissions by 32 per cent ing only on the coldest days.
per capita between 1993 and 2007, greatly The designs are relatively innovative;
exceeding Kyoto requirements. walls have nearly one meter of insulation,
They were able to achieve such impres- and even the mid-rise apartments (up to
sive reductions by using the most locally 8 stories) are built using structural wood
available source of energy, biomass for beams.
nearly all of their heating needs, and Being one of the first to attempt such a
much of their electrical energy needs. transformation has greatly benefited the
In 1979, the region was entirely reliant city, but it also serves as a tremendous
on imported fossil fuels. Over the next learning experience for others.
three decades, a series of central com- Ulf Johnsson, technical director for
bined-heat and power (CHP) plants were Växjö Energy AB, estimates that by mak-
built, and the fuel mix was quickly transi- ing use of the experience and skills devel-
tioned to become almost entirely based on oped, they could reduce the time required
renewable biomass from the surrounding to get to their situation (goal) by five to 10
region. years.
The city itself has 54,000 inhabitants, Driving around the countryside outside
over 90 per cent of whom are connected to Växjö you can almost forget one is no lon-
the central heating grid. ger in Northern Ontario, the landscape of
In some of the smaller surrounding gently rolling forested hills and numerous
communities, similar systems were set up. lakes is the same as what one might see
The goal is to reduce overall emissions by from Highway 11 or 17.
50 per cent compared to 1993 by 2010. The natural resources and demograph-
These impressive results and lofty ambi- ics are virtually identical.
tions have made Växjö a biomass energy Växjö could be any number of Northern
research hub. cities; all they did was decide to use their
The city is now home to the Bioenergy local resources to meet their energy needs
Group in Växjö AB, a research group in a sustainable way .
which facilitates cooperation between
biomass research at Växjö University and www.vaxjo.se
local industry partners. www.energie-cites.org/db/vaxjo_139_en.pdf
The city was also selected as the site for www.vaxjo.se/upload/11975/
the European Centre for Biomass Gassifi- Climatestrategy20ofVäxjö.pdf
cation, which will research and develop www.vaxjo.se/upload/3880/
manufacturing processes for producing CO2%20engelska%202007.pdf
DME (Di-methyl-ether) and other bio-fu- www.vaxjo.se/upload/3880/Bio_Eng_
els. Växjö is also the test site of Volvo’s OK.qxd.pdf
heavy duty DME vehicles.
38/BIOMASS
38 | Northern Ontario Business BIOMASS (www.northernontariobusiness.com) June 2009
Your corrugated Renewable energy co-ops can revitalize
specialists northern communities
MANUFACTURED IN By RUSS CHRISTIANSON The principles and values of co-operatives provide a
For Northern Ontario Business positive, democratic alternative to the winner-take-all
NORTHERN ONTARIO
A
business ethos favoured by mainstream economists.
WE MANUFACTURE fter three decades of deregulation, tax cuts, The table below provides a comparison between the val-
and privatization (the “free trade” policies ues of the competitive “free market”, and the co-opera-
VARIOUS TYPES originally touted by Margaret Thatcher, Ronald tive “fair market”.
OF BOXES FOR Reagan and Brian Mulroney as the economic
model for lasting prosperity and jobs), the chickens have
ALL TYPES OF come home to roost. These Wild West policies of unfet-
APPLICATIONS tered trade actively encouraged the greed and rampant VALUE COMPARISON
speculation in the financial, commodity and real estate Competitive (Free Market) Versus Co-operative (Fair Market)
WE WILL CUSTOM markets that in turn caused the recent collapse of the Economic Systems
global economic system.
DESIGN A BOX TO Now, the very governments that supported these free COMPETITIVE VALUES CO-OPERATIVE VALUES
MEET YOUR NEEDS. trade policies are scrambling to bail out their CEO Self-interest (win-lose) Mutual Benefit (win-win)
friends and industries that lobbied to remove the yoke
of government from their necks. The injustice is not lost Maximize Individual Wealth Fulfill Collective Needs
on taxpayers and the unemployed. Short-term Long-term
Like the opening line in the classic Dickens’ novel, A Global Fear Local Empowerment
Tale of Two Cities, it is the best of times and the worst
of times. The bad news is obvious. Autocratic Democratic
(705) 647-7055 We are not only facing the most severe economic chal-
Fax: (705) 647-7030
Information Control Information Sharing
lenge since the Great Depression, but the clock is also
www.midnorthcontainers.ca ticking on two other simmering crises – peak oil and Bigger is Better Small is Beautiful
climate chaos. Centralized Decentralized
The good news is not in the newspaper headlines or on
the television news. While global corporations were liv-
Status Quo Visionary Change
Visit us online at ing high on the hog, millions of people all over the world
www.northernontariobusiness.com were quietly working away at co-operative solutions to
these challenges.
As the globalized economy leaves more and more These co-operative values are driving a renewable
NOB_June_09_BW_TH_MC people behind, communities all over the world have energy revolution that holds the promise to dig ourselves
identified opportunities to meet their needs by working out of the mess we’re in.
together. And, across Northern Ontario, people are realizing
and
There are thousands of examples of local co-operative that the solutions required for the survival of their
are pleased to offer a one-day workshop initiatives, from credit unions in India, fair trade cof- communities lay in their own creative collaboration.
HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL fee growers in Nicaragua, industrial worker co-ops in For a number of years, small groups of people across
LEADERSHIP Argentina, renewable energy co-ops in Denmark, and Ontario have been working together to bring renewable
forestry co-ops in Canada. energy projects to their communities.
SUDBURY: Monday, June 15, 2009 • NORTH BAY: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 When you add all of these local projects together, the And, by joining together through organizations
TIMMINS: Friday, June 19, 2009 • 8:30 am to 4:00 pm worldwide impact of the co-operative model is impres- like the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association and
sive: the Ontario Co-operative Association, they have been
Organizations face increasing health, safety and environmental (HSE) risks and liabilities. • In 1994, the United Nations estimated that the liveli- lobbying the provincial government to introduce
This one-day workshop was developed to help build HSE competencies for persons
assigned front line leadership roles in private or public organizations (managers,
hood of nearly 3 billion people, or half of the world's legislation that will encourage local, co-operative,
supervisors and HSE professionals). It will provide you with an improved understanding population, was made secure through co-operative en- community-owned renewable energy businesses.
about best practices in HSE leadership. It will help your organization advance along its terprises. With the recent introduction of the The Green Energy
‘Journey Toward Zero Harm’, by reducing workplace injuries and other losses. • Over 800 million people in over 100 countries world- Act, it looks like their efforts are about to pay off.
wide are members of co-operatives. If the Ontario Power Authority gets it right, the new
Topics to be Covered
1. What is your organization’s HSE culture?
• Co-operatives provide over 100 million jobs around “Feed-in Tariffs” (based on the German and Danish
2. Influencing safe and responsible behaviour. the world, 20% more than multinational enterprises. models that encouraged exponential growth in local,
3. Understanding legal and social responsibility perspectives. • There are 132,000 co-operative enterprises in the Eu- community-owned renewable energy projects) will
4. Addressing the accountability gap. ropean Union, with 100 million members and 2.3 million unleash hundreds of wind, biomass, small scale hydro,
5. Applying effective two-way communication. employees. and solar energy projects across Ontario.
6. Building effective training programs.
7. Establishing a risk-aware culture.
• Canada has over 9,500 co-operatives and credit It is an exciting time for local communities to take
8. Managing change. unions, with combined assets of approximately $300 bil- control over their futures by using the co-operative
9. Addressing the root causes of incidents. lion, employing over 155,000 people. structure.
10. Applying a management system framework. • Quebec, a province that has had co-operative friendly And generating electricity and heat from renewable
policies for decades, accounts for almost 40 percent of all energy sources is an idea whose time has come.
Presenter: Pat Bolger, MSc, BSc, CEA (35 years experience in HSE management
in industry, government and consulting). Cost: $180 + GST
co-operatives in Canada, and nearly 50 percent of co-op
Further Information: Call the Industry Liaison Office to register today 705 474-7600 jobs.
Ext 5671 or visit our website at www.canadorec.on.ca Click on Departments &
Services, Programs, and then Corporate Training.
Visit us online at www.northernontariobusiness.com
Note: Safety professionals seeking to maintain their CRSP Certification can obtain
0.5 CMP’s (BCRSP Approval # 09158).
hearst
ontario • canada
The Future of Biomass in Ontario
705.372.2837
925 ALEXANDRA ST.
HEARST, ONTARIO www.hearst.ca
POL 1NO dsigouin@hearst.ca
39/BIOMASS
June 2009 (www.northernontariobusiness.com) BIOMASS Northern Ontario Business | 39
Green Energy Act empowers communities
By JANE STORY much easier to establish renewable en- course, generating energy closer to where Energy co-ops dominate
Manager of Policy and Communications, ergy co-ops. Currently co-operatives are it is used reduces the cost transmission In Europe, community ownership has im-
The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association limited to serving primarily their own and distribution and line losses. pelled the rapid and widespread deployment
ea For Northern Ontario Business members. However, as electricity is, for Community power also has social bene- of renewable energy, enabling Germany to
T
all most projects, to be fed into the power fits. Local energy owners who have more produce 14 per cent of its energy from green
sts. here was a time when many cities grid, it is impossible for a co-operative to control over their project and benefit di- sources and to reduce its greenhouse gas emis-
val- and small towns throughout On- deliver the electricity it generates direct- rectly are less likely to oppose renewable sions by thousands of tonnes. There, commu-
ra- tario were self-sufficient in elec- ly to its members. The Green Energy Act energy projects. They are also more ac- nity members own half the renewable energy
tricity. Located on the numerous recognizes and resolves this dilemma. countable to their neighbours and more projects. In Denmark, 88 per cent of the wind
rivers that run throughout the province, Municipalities would also be able to familiar with areas that need to be pro- turbines are owned either by farmers or com-
communities such as Thunder Bay and contribute to the supply of green ener- tected from development ensuring nei- munities. The Green Energy Act could repli-
Kirkland Lake, by the turn of the 20th gy. Under the proposed legislation, they ther local residents nor the environment cate Europe’s success here and enable us all to
century, were producing the electricity to would be allowed to develop projects is adversely affected. be energy conservers and generators and not
t) light their streets and homes and drive up to 10 MW without having to create a just consumers.
their businesses, mines and mills. .
separate legal body Municipalities could
Communities lost much of their power easily dust off their old hydro dams or
independence over time. The push by the use waste wood as biomass to heat local
Harris government, in the 1990s, to priva-
tize public municipal utilities threatened
homes and businesses and produce elec-
tricity .
www.northernontariobusiness.com
NOB_JUNE_09_B+2_ML_BS
communities with taxes penalties if they Finally, First Nations are being encour-
didn’t submit to market forces. aged by this Act to build, own and oper-
Today, communities are once again be- ate their own renewable energy projects.
ing given the opportunity to become en- Provisions in the legislation would re-
ergy producers. In the new Green Energy quire that Aboriginal people be consulted
Act, the provincial government is setting when planning, developing or procuring
the stage for the comeback of community electricity and transmission systems. As
power with profitable prices for renew- well, the Ontario Power Authority may
able energy, changes to existing legisla- be instructed to establish programs, and
tion that allows for the establishment of possibly fund a portion of them to assist
energy co-ops and provisions that will Aboriginal community with their renew-
encourage municipalities to produce able energy initiatives.
clean, sustainable power.
ble More revenue for community
ves Power to the People The proposed legislation recognizes
.
And the people are ready All across the that communities benefit economically
ng province, people are putting up solar pan- much more from small scale, locally
eir els, installing geothermal heat pumps, owned energy projects than they do from
. and making plans to erect wind turbines large, centralized power generators. This
oss in their communities, motivated by the was illustrated in several studies under-
ble urgent need to address climate change. taken in Iowa. The results revealed that
However, this grassroots enthusiasm for locally owned wind generation creates I
ons renewables has, until now, been stifled up to 10 times more economic activity in
nd by inappropriate regulations, vested in- the local community and state than does
een terests and a backward looking mindset wind generation owned by out-of-state
uce stuck on big utilities. The Green Energy companies. When the owners are local
ve, Act aims to break down these barriers. citizens, they are more likely to purchase
First and foremost, the government more local materials for construction
rgy intends to implement a program of feed- and hire more local residents and profits
in tariffs: long-term, guaranteed prices stay in the community too. According to
ew for renewable energy. These tariffs level the Federation of Canadian Municipali-
ish the playing field for small, community- ties, in conventional energy systems, like
al, owned generators by preventing large- that of Ontario, at least 75 cents of each
will scale, commercial companies from un- energy dollar leaves the local economy .
ro, dercutting them with lower prices. Feed-
in tariffs are also an excellent financial
ake incentive for everyone from individuals Local owners accountable to neighbours
ive who want to install a solar system on While rural, struggling farmers can
their rooftop to farmers who erect wind- boost their incomes by leasing their land
ble mills in their fields to municipalities that to wind power companies, “the lease pay-
revive their old hydro plants to get in the ments made to farmers by commercial
game of producing energy. Recognizing wind project developers typically pale
that not all communities are located in in comparison to the income the farmer
the windiest areas, a higher tariff just
for community-based wind power is be-
could earn if he instead owned the tur-
bine himself, or in conjunction with
( )
ing offered. other members of his local community,”
The Green Energy Act would make it according to one of the analysis. And of
NOB_June_09_Blue_TH_MC NOB_June_09_BW_TH_MC
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