Standard Offer Program For Small Renewable Energy Projects

In our October 2005 Energy Law Update we advised you that the Federal government had allocated $97 million over five years, and a total of $886 million over fifteen years, to stimulate the development of renewable energy, such as small hydro, wind, biomass and landfill gas. The Update also noted that provincial governments were developing renewable energy programs, with the Ontario government setting a target of 2,700 megawatts of electrical power to come from new renewable energy sources by the year 2010.

As part of this initiative, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) and Ontario Energy Board (OEB) have designed a standard offer program (RESOP) for small renewable energy generation programs, and the name of the game (according to the OPA) is to simplify eligibility requirements and contracting and to offer standard pricing in an effort to eliminate barriers that prevent small renewable energy projects from succeeding.