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Renewable energy in Canada

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Renewable energy in Canada

Canada generates a significant majority of its electricity from hydroelectric dams (59% in 2006). Wind power is growing quickly with Canada in 2011 being the 6th largest producer of wind power in the world. Canada has built a number of photovoltaic power plants, mainly in Ontario, with one in Sarnia being the largest in the world at the time of construction. A 15 megawatt tidal plant sits at Annapolis, Nova Scotia, and uses the daily tides of the Bay of Fundy. Politicians have expressed interest in increasing the percentage of Canada's electricity generated by renewable methods. Ontario has created a subsidy to assist wind and solar power producers.

Ontario

Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009 (GEGEA), now in force and effect, takes a two-pronged approach to creating a renewable energy economy. The first is to bring more renewable energy sources to the province and the second is the creation of more energy efficiency measures to help conserve energy. The bill also appoints a Renewable Energy Facilitator to provide "one-window" assistance and support to project developers in order to facilitate project approvals. The approvals process for transmission projects are also streamlined and for the first time in Ontario, the bill enacts standards for renewable energy projects. Homeowners now have access to incentives to develop small-scale renewables such as low- or no-interest loans to finance the capital cost of renewable energy generating facilities like solar panels.

References

Renewable energy in Canada Wikipedia