Bill 150, Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act - Preview
On May 14, 2009, the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009 (GEGEA) received Royal Assent by the Lieutenant Governor. The GEGEA is an omnibus renewable energy law that: enacts the Green Energy Act, 2009 (GEA); amends the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR), ; and repeals both the Energy Conservation Leadership Act, 2006 and the Energy Efficiency Act. As this legislation was passed just six weeks after the end of the ECO annual review period, this summary should be regarded as a “preview” of the GEGEA and GEA.
The Green Energy Act, 2009 will have the potential to truly transform the energy landscape of Ontario with a vision for a “greener” economy. Its scope is broad and comprehensive, encompassing a three-pronged approach:
- a strong focus on energy conservation and energy efficiency by promoting a “culture of conservation”;
- support for renewable electricity generation;
- development of a smart grid to integrate, transmit and distribute this green energy across Ontario’s electricity distribution grid.
The GEA’s focus on conservation and energy efficiency would place Ontario at the North American forefront by mandating energy efficiency as a central goal of the Ontario Building Code, as well as by requiring Energy Star standards for home appliances, and by greening the Ontario public service. The benefits of these activities would be distributed across the province, engaging all regions, sectors and demographic groups in the process.
The ECO has recommended stronger provisions for conservation and renewables in past Annual Reports (i.e., 2002/2003; 2006/2007; and 2007/2008). The GEA is intended to encourage the development of renewable energy projects (solar, hydroelectric, wind, biomass, biogas, and geothermal) within the province through the introduction of attractive incentives and guaranteed feed-in tariffs, improved access to the grid and the establishment of a streamlined approvals process.
The GEGEA has significant implications for the Office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. It amends section 58.1 (1) of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 (EBR) to require the Environmental Commissioner to report annually to the Speaker of the Assembly on the progress of activities in Ontario to “reduce the use or make more efficient use of electricity, natural gas, propane, oil and transportation fuels.” Further, the Act amends section 58.2 (1) of the EBR to require the Environmental Commissioner to report annually on the progress of activities in Ontario to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and, in particular, to include “a review of any annual report on greenhouse gas reductions or climate change published by the Government of Ontario” in the year covered by the report.
The ECO will review this legislation, the extensive public consultation carried out in its development, and the potential long-term implications of the Act in more detail in our next Annual Report.
| This is an article from the 2008/09 Annual Report to the Legislature from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. |
Citing This Article:
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 2009. "Bill 150, Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act." Building Resilience, ECO Annual Report, 2008-09. Toronto, ON : Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 32-33.
