Council supports call to reject RFPs for green projects in unwilling communities
Township council has passed a resolution supporting a call for the province to reject all RFPs for projects under the Green Energy Act that involve “non-willing host” municipalities.
A group called “Save the Nation” from St. Isidore, Ontario is circulating a petition seeking support for its position.
“With the introduction of the Green Energy Act democratic rights were stripped from the electorate of Ontario,” the letter states.
The act allows alternative energy projects such as wind turbines and solar farms to move forward without municipal approval.
When elected in 2014, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced such projects would no longer be forced on “unwilling” communities. The announcement spurred a spate of resolutions by municipalities declaring themselves “not a willing host.”
However, the premier also said the province can’t get out of contracts already signed and has no plans to rescind or alter the Green Energy Act.
The Save the Nation resolution calls on the premier to “acknowledge the moral obligation to the ‘non-willing hosts’ and to publicly request that the IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator) refuse consideration of all RFPs that impact ‘non-willing hosts.’”
Mapleton council unanimously passed a resolution of support at its Nov. 24 meeting.
