Green Energy Ontario 2.0: Community Power

With the announcement that the Ontario Power Authority's Feed-in-Tariff Program is currently under review by the Province of Ontario, long-time blog contributor Neil Fairhead explores the value of ensuring that Community Power issues are represented in the discussions.

Now that the most recent Ontario provincial election has passed, it’s probably a good time to reflect on the government’s renewable energy policy and how we ensure it is implemented most usefully for the benefit of all citizens. Given the current economic climate, my main focus is on sustaining local communities. Our current energy system is a relic of the middle of the last century when mass production ruled - large centralized plants delivered large quantities of very similar products. Examples include the big steel mills that dominated Hamilton’s skyline and the Big 3 car plants in places like Oshawa. Even computing was subject to this model as the initial dominant form was the large centralized mainframe. Electricity has predominantly been generated in large centralized plants whether it was hydro, nuclear or coal power.

In many other industries this approach has evolved, most visibly in computing where computing devices are now ubiquitous and linked together by the Internet. Electricity is, to some extent, still battling against the prevailing winds of a more distributed model of supply and generation. We still produce it centrally and distribute it into communities from many miles away. This means that at least 75 cents of each energy dollar leaves the local economy. Less money remains to support local businesses and provide jobs for local people. In addition, the scale of centralized power plants means that only very large corporate- or government-owned entities can build and operate them. The scale drives transmission over distances which increases transmission loss. In the United States, transmission losses are estimated to be between 6 - 7% of all the power put into the grid.

Generating power close to its use reduces the cost of distribution and particularly long-range distribution power losses. It also reduces the risk due to transmission failure. Remember, the Internet was deliberately designed as a network with no single point of failure by providing many alternate routes and having no central control point. Our electricity distribution network is not. Hence, in August 2003, the failure of one generator in the FirstEnergy plant at Eastlake Ohio triggered cascading failures which eventually totaled over 500 generating units at over 250 plants. It reduced the available power by 80% over an area that ran from Sault Ste Marie to James Bay to Newark, New Jersey.

However, just distributing power generation is not enough. All energy generation incurs costs as well as benefits. If the local generator is not locally owned then the community will not get enough of the benefit to put up with its attendant costs. All wind energy projects constitute an economic development opportunity for the communities that surround the project. However, local communities may only see a small portion of the benefits from such investments. It is not uncommon for less than 15% of project-related construction expenditures to remain local. Studies undertaken in Iowa suggest that locally owned wind generation creates up to 10 times more economic activity in the local community than does wind generation owned by out-of-state companies. When the owners are local, they are more likely to purchase local construction materials and hire local residents ensuring profits stay in the community too.

Community Power is a class of sustainable energy projects that are owned, developed and controlled in full or in part (50 per cent or more) by residents of the community in which the project is located. Community Power has spurred the development of renewable energy in Europe. For instance, in the Netherlands 60% of wind turbines are owned by farmers and 5% by communities; in Germany 10& are owned by farmers, while 40% are owned by communities; and finally, in Denmark, 64% are owned by farmers, while 24% are owned by communities.

WindShare Turbine, Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario

Ontario initiated its experience with Community Power in 1999, when the first community-owned and North America’s first urban sited wind turbine was envisioned by Windshare (see photo). To date, there have been over 293 applications for Community Power projects under the Ontario Power Authority’s FIT Program, representing over 1,500MW of clean, renewable energy.

However, Community Power does not exist in a vacuum and is clearly in its infancy. On October 31, Energy Minister Chris Bentley confirmed a long-expected review of the FIT Program. Deputy minister Fareed Amin in conjunction with OPA CEO Colin Andersen, will lead the review. Obviously this introduces some uncertainty into the atmosphere and makes it important that supporters of sustainable energy ensure their voices are heard.

One way to learn more about the review, to discuss how to respond and to include your say in a strong and consistent voice is to join the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association for its third annual Community Power Conference. Hear about and discuss the FIT review, Green Energy Ontario 2.0, and receive practical training on how to drive community-led and community-commercial project partnerships.

~ Neil Fairhead

Ontario Sustainable Energy Association
Community Power Conference

November 14th and 15th, 2011
Metro Toronto Convention Centre South, Level 800, Hall G & Room 803
222 Bremner Blvd., Toronto, ON
http://cpconference.ca/

Wakulat|Law Supports Friends of Wind's Public Outreach

Introduction
Ever since the Province of Ontario introduced its landmark Green Energy and Green Economy Act, two major tracks of criticism have bedevilled the wind sector. First, developers are more likely to find local communities opposing proposed wind farms that have taken advantage of the streamlined approval process implemented by the Act. This lack of required consultation has created a sense of helplessness as rural residents feel large numbers of turbines are erected without regard to their visual or health concerns. This has stirred an emotionally divisive debate across the province's countryside that has proven grist for the government's political opponents in an election year.

The Impact on Health
While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it should be an easier task to address health concerns with facts and research.  Earlier this year, Toronto-based environmental lawyer Dianne Saxe reported on a full-day webcast - Wind Power & Human Health Scientific Forum - dedicated to discussing wind power effects on human health.  The conclusion was essentially that "infrasound from wind turbines is not a health problem." This accords with an earlier report from Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, who concluded that there is "no direct causal link between wind turbines and adverse health effects." Naturally, health professionals and wind proponents should take any concerns raised by residents seriously, but reasoned debate should be expected from all sides and include an understanding of the established facts to date.

Friends of Wind
Earlier this month Wakulat|Law had the privilege of participating in a public forum organized by a nascent grassroots group: "Friends of Wind". The group's research has indicated that "public opinion polls have consistently shown the majority of Canadians support wind energy for its environmental, economic and social benefits". They became concerned that this point-of-view was being lost to the more vocal groups bringing wind development into disrepute. Led by a full-time farmer and mother of four, Jutta Splettstoesser, Friends of Wind decided to put on four public events where industry experts could share the facts with interested residents, citizens and policymakers.

Jutta has been supported in her efforts by like-minded individuals and wind energy industry leaders keen to ensure all citizens can “join the conversation” about Ontario's energy future. Their fourth and final event was held on September 8, 2011 in London, Ontario. Wakulat|Law Principal Robert Wakulat moderated a panel that included the following expert speakers:

• Gideon Forman, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
• Paul Seccaspina, CEO of Oraclepoll Research Limited
• Horia Hangan, Director of University of Western Ontario Wind Tunnel & Project Lead WindEEE
• Vinay Sharma, CEO, London Hydro

Forman, as he has done in the past, tackled the health issue and asked attendees to consider the health impacts of alternative generation options such as nuclear and coal. Seccaspina provided detailed insights into the minds of Ontarians with a focus on their attitudes towards renewable power and the upcoming provincial election:

Friends of Wind_Sept7

Doors Open: Green Energy Edition

The launch of Doors Open Toronto twelve years ago has conditioned Torontonians to enjoy one weekend a year of serendipitous cultural discovery as over 150 buildings of architectural, historic, cultural and social significance open themselves for free to public perusal. Developed as a millennium project in 2000, Doors Open Toronto has witnessed over 1.7 million people take advantage of the opportunity to learn about the city's history and celebrate its heritage.

The proponents of clean energy in the province of Ontario are taking a page out of the successful Doors Open playbook and flinging open fields to many of the province's clean energy projects for public view.  While Doors Open put its emphasis on history, the Green Energy Field Day is firmly fixated on the future looking at new forms of energy generation and some of the interesting architecture that is accompanying these projects.

On Saturday September 24th, all across the province, Ontarians are being given the opportunity to celebrate the early successes of the emerging clean energy economy. It's part of 350.org's Moving Planet, a global day of action with thousands of events around the world, highlighting the need for government action to move beyond fossil fuels and address the climate crisis.

The ZooShare Biogas Co-operative is one project that Wakulat|Law is proud to be a small part of. The project will be a community-owned biogas plant at the Toronto Zoo with immense 'poo-tential'. While not yet under construction, visitors can learn more about the project from its planners and dreamers from 10:00 to 16:30 at the National Forest Week display at 361A Old Finch Avenue.

The Changing Landscape of Ontario

I recently had the pleasure of traveling across parts of beautiful southwestern Ontario on a couple of road trips. With the cooperation of some incredible early summer weather, I began to finally see the impact of the province's push to build a distributed and green energy grid. While there is still a ways to go before this area is mistaken for the German countryside, there has clearly been a shift in the level of interest in renewable energy generation.

My first excursion was a round-tripper from Toronto to Port Elgin via Orangeville.  The Canadian Autoworkers union was hosting a retreat for the bi-annual environment conference of its Health and Safety Department. The conference, held at the incredible CAW family education centre on the shores of Lake Huron, was attended by workers represented by CAW locals. You can learn more about their environment programme, by reviewing their statement of principles  and checking out their website. 

This leg of the trip exposed me to a number of wind and solar PV installations, increasing in frequency the closer I was to Port Elgin. There were smaller wind farms along the way culminating in a large collection just south of town. The solar installations alternated between ground-mounted dual-axis tracking installations, fixed ground-mounts and much larger custom-built barns to support large micro-FIT rooftop solar.

My next excursion was a lively affair with the ZooShare Biogas Cooperative team to learn about anaerobic digestion in the Niagara region. Vandermeer Greenhouses began in 1976 after Peter Vandermeer had sold his share of a greenhouse business in Holland and emigrated to Canada with his wife and daughter. Two years later, he purchased 5 acres in Niagara-on-the-Lake and started building. Operations slowly expanded over the years eventually reaching 280,000 square feet and becoming the largest grower of cut mums in Ontario.

Primary and secondary digesters w greenhouse in background.

In addition to becoming a greenhouse leader, the Vandermeers were attuned to other ways they could improve their operations. This led them to research and develop an anaerobic digestion installation. It consists of primary and secondary digesters that are 18 m in diameter and 6 m high; a digestate storage container; an engine producing 335 kW of electricity fed into the provincial grid and 402 kW of thermal heat used in the greenhouse.

The digesters are fed grape pumice from local vintners, expired dog food from a dog food supplier in Guelph, Ontario, rotting or otherwise deficient produce from local farmers and coffee grind from a nearby Tim Hortons. In return, Vandermeer produces electricity and heat and digestate that can be used as an organic fertilizer for local farmers or the greenhouse.


However, proponents of green energy should not assume that this transformation is deep rooted. There are still a number of concerns and issues that must be addressed to assuage a variety of groups (including possibly the next government of the province) before the Green Energy and Green Economy Act will grow as sturdy as a mature oak tree.  Evidence of this discontent was also visible during my travels.

Hopefully, Ontarians will arrive at a solution to the development of green energy that will allow for interested developers and generators to reap the rewards for taking on significant risks but will also allow for the civil resolution of concerns expressed by neighbours and communities. Ontario has an opportunity to lead the way in North America and many residents have already opened the door to that opportunity.