Changes announced on?Aug. 13 following a 30-day consultation on the popular microFIT program will ensure fairness to applicants and continue to encourage Perth-Wellington residents to participate in the growing clean energy economy, MPP John Wilkinson announced last week.
“This is a win-win for Perth-Wellington residents,” said Wilkinson. “These changes provide fairness for those who have applied to the existing program and clarity for those going forward. This is about bringing clean energy to Ontario at good value. It allows Ontarians to be part of the solution. I want to thank everyone who contacted my office and provided thoughtful suggestions to ensure a sustainable program.”
Ontarians who applied prior to July 2 to feed solar power into the electricity grid will be eligible under the original pricing structure.
A new pricing structure of 64.2 cents per kilowatt-hour will apply to eligible applicants moving forward on small ground-mounted projects. The roof-top solar price structure remains at 80.2 cents.
Consultations on a new price category for solar projects were initiated because of the overwhelming number of applications for ground-mounted solar projects in the rooftop solar category. Local residents brought forward important information on a variety of cost inputs that resulted in an adjusted new, fair price for ground-mounted solar.
The new and fair price for ground-mounted solar projects will protect the sustainability of the program and provide a reasonable rate of return of 11 per cent over a 20-year period for participating Ontarians.
The microFIT program is geared towards homeowners, farmers, farm co-operatives, First Nations, small businesses and schools. Almost 19,000 microFIT applications have been received since the program was launched last year.
Almost 800 Ontarians are now feeding clean energy into the grid. Farmers can lease portions of their land for wind power projects, allowing them to generate income while continuing to farm.
