Just days prior the The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) released a report entitled “Wind and the Electrical Grid: Mitigating the Rise in Electricity Rates and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.”  The report expresses concern that the present electrical grid is not well equipped to integrate a large, rapid increase in intermittent renewable generation. Without policy changes, Ontario will see a significant rise in both electricity rates and greenhouse gas emissions.

Also very telling is the former Home Depot chief’s decision to make her green energy leadership play in the storage arena.

GridWatch rounds out coverage with broad-based updates including green sector stock performance, and several significant announcements include Watchdog Gord Miller’s scorecard of Ontario’s climate change strategy.

FIT Review

Ontario’s Power Trip: Not a FIT review
Financial Post
To the Minister`s doubtless embarrassment, a submission Wednesday to the Ontario Energy Board by Aegent Energy Advisors reveals what the review report does not. The Aegent report, produced on behalf of five parties, including diverse groups such as the …

Moving Clean Energy Forward, Creating Jobs
Ontario is moving ahead with its clean energy program, taking immediate steps to ensure the long-term sustainability of renewable energy while creating more jobs, lowering prices and giving communities a greater say

Terence Corcoran: FIT fix more like a refuel
National Post
… developers — known as feed in tariffs (FIT ) — will be cut by 20% for solar, to between … industry seems to care about the cuts in FIT prices. A lineup of rent-seeking executives and … green energy program, reported that the FIT program has led to 2,000 projects …

Ontario renewable energy prices slashed
Toronto Star
Business Reporter A new, lower price schedule for renewable energy in Ontario may stall some proposed wind power projects, says an industry group. But most cheered the new rules and prices for green power unveiled Thursday, which will give …

Liberals still cleaning up Smitherman’s mess
Toronto Sun
The Green Energy Act (GEA) was Smitherman’s baby. It offered ludicrously high prices to producers of wind and solar power and guaranteed that high-priced alternatives would be sold into the grid before cheaper traditional energy from Niagara Falls and …

Grits’ Green energy plan gets overhaul
Ottawa Citizen
Punished in last fall’s election, Ontario’s minority Liberal government responded to a groundswell of rural discontent over its green energy program Thursday by announcing changes that will allow …

Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) supports Province’s new Feed-in …
InvestorIdeas.com
The Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program update announced today is a positive and natural progression of the FIT program and a victory for communities, First Nations and progressive …

Ontario cuts green power rates, commits to targets
Reuters
Following a review of its ambitious clean-energy program, Canada’s most populous province said it will cut the rates it pays for power from new solar projects by more than 20 percent and wind rates by about 15 percent, reflecting lower prices for …

Lower rates still work
Kingston Whig Standard
Lowering the rate at which the province buys electricity from solar and wind projects may spur the development of other types of alternative energy, says a Queen’s University energy researcher.

CanWEA Pleased with the Ontario Government’s Commitment to Accelerate the …
Canada NewsWire
The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) is pleased that the Ontario Government’s review of the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program has made a commitment to procure all the energy required to meet its aggressive renewable …

Green energy rate changes a ‘natural progression’ says association
BetterFarming.com
This renewed commitment will further strengthen Ontario’s leadership role in renewable energy,” Stevens said in a release following the announcement. The ministry, through the Ontario Power Authority, under the microFIT program, had been paying 64.2 …

Ontario Power Authority to reduce prices it will pay for renewable energy
Platts
The Ontario Power Authority will lower the prices it will pay for solar and wind generation the province’s feed-in tariff program, citing a drop in costs, Ontario’s Ministry of Energy said Thursday. Average solar tariffs will fall by about 20% under …

Solar Co-op Applauds McGuinty Governments’ Province’s Commitment to Clean …
Marketwire
AGRIS Solar, a 700-member, Southwestern Ontario-based solar co- operative is applauding Minister of Energy Chris Bentley’s leadership and support for solar energy, following the government’s FIT program

The shocking truth
National Post
… expansion of ultra-expensive wind and solar is actually underway. On the current pace, wind power will produce an amount of electricity equivalent to more than 12% of demand in 2015 and more than 14% in 2017. Solar development is also far ahead of the LTEP …

Municipalities can’t reject wind turbines
London Free Press
Municipalities can get green energy projects faster if they want them but still can’t say no if they don’t under new Feed-In-Tariff program rules, Energy Minister Chris Bentley announced Thursday. “We’ve listened very carefully …

Municipalities can’t reject green energy projects under FIT
Toronto Sun
Municipalities can get green energy projects faster if they want them but still can’t say no if they don’t under new Feed-In-Tariff program rules, Energy Minister Chris Bentley announced Thursday.

More Top Trends

Ontario Society of Professional Engineers Urges Action on Wind …
‎Canada NewsWire
The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) today released a report entitled “Wind and the Electrical Grid: …

CK will raise turbine concerns – but won’t walk out
Chatham Daily News
Chatham-Kent will raise its concerns over the Green Energy Act, but won’t walk out of an upcoming conference, says a municipal councillor. Chatham Coun. Michael Bondy will be the lone council representative to attend the Ontario Good .

Wind energy town hall meeting draws hundreds
Stratford Gazette
Although Fedeli sits as the PC energy critic, he said his goal was to present an unbiased opinion of wind turbines and the Green Energy Act. “These are not numbers that anyone else has provided, these are not numbers that are made up,” Fedeli said.

Wind turbine health study starting up
‎Owen Sound Sun Times
It’s one of the first steps in a five-year, $1.5-million study being conducted by the Ontario Research Chair in Renewable Energy Technology and Health, …

Solar

CanSIA welcomes new president
CanSia Media Release
The Canadian Solar Industries Association is pleased to announce that John A. Gorman has been named President, effective March 26.

Green Energy Stock Values

Green energy’s deadly doldrums
Globe and Mail
In late 2007 and early 2008, the global renewable energy sector seemed on the cusp of a golden age, as investors pushed the price of big, multinational players in the green-tech space to record highs. Four years later most of those large companies …

Smart Grid

Ontario budget: Finance Minister Dwight Duncan to scrap billions in infrastructure spending in March 27 budget
Toronto Star
Ontario will cancel or delay billions of dollars in planned infrastructure spending in the March 27 budget to save “hundreds of millions in interest costs,” says Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.

Consortium plans Smart Grid Generator Projet
Sault Star
It will centre on establishing a Smart Grid Generator Project in the city. The “generator” would ultimately monitor and improve how green energy is used and managed on the grid through the collection of various information.

Barrie, Ontario to Save Millions with Investment in Sensus Smart Grid for …
SunHerald.com
“Sensus is a strong partner for Barrie, not only because of our proven success with hundreds of smart grid deployments across the electric, gas and water industries, but because our communications technology provides a guaranteed, clear-channel …

Supply Mix

Manpower issues could dim bright future
National Post

… electricity industry will generate a little more than 39,000 megawatts in new capacity over the next 20 years, with large hydro the source for a third of the capacity. Wind will emerge as the second-biggest source of new electricity generation, making

Energy Benefit

McGuinty: Clean Energy Benefit won’t be scrapped
Toronto Sun
Ontarians will not lose their 10% break on hydro bills, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Thursday. Economist Don Drummond had recommended the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit be scrapped as quickly as possible to save the …

No early end to 10 per cent rebates on electricity bills: McGuinty
Global Toronto
Transmission lines that run from the Bruce nuclear power plant on Lake Huron to Milton, Ont., are seen just north of Hanover, Ont. Ontario’s cash-strapped government will not follow a recommendation from

Ontario hydro rate rebate won’t be cut
CBC.ca
Electricity ratepayers in Ontario will not lose the 10 per cent rebates the Liberal government introduced to offset soaring hydro bills, according to the premier. One of the recommendations from economist Don Drummond to help the province get out of …

McGuinty says no early end to electricity bill rebates
Hamilton Spectator
Ontario’s cash-strapped government will not follow a recommendation to save $1.1 billion a year by eliminating the 10 per cent rebates on electricity bills earlier than planned, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Thursday. The Liberals introduced the …

Toronto Hydro

Toronto Hydro at work: New Station Transformer
Canada NewsWire (press release)
Toronto Hydro crews prepare a 30000 kilogram transformer to be lifted into Centennial D’Arcy Magee Station in the City’s east end. The new transformer is replacing one that was installed in 1969. It will be put into service after Toronto Hydro fully …

Lease out Toronto Hydro ’s assets
National Post
… opponent yet in his plan to sell a share of Toronto Hydro : provincial taxes. Further, Toronto Hydro has started a public war with its regulator … Energy Board, after the OEB rejected Toronto Hydro ’s application to pay for planned investment …

Safety

Hydro Ottawa Reports Electrical Accident
Marketwire
A contractor retained by Hydro Ottawa made unintentional contact with Hydro Ottawa overhead equipment. At approximately 3:08 pm today, Hydro Ottawa learned of an accident involving three employees of Greely Construction, a firm retained by Hydro Ottawa …

Stray voltage issue on radar
Chatham Daily News
Two years ago the Ontario Energy Board announced amendments to the distribution system code in relation to farm stray voltage. The amendments ensure that electricity to farm customers is of a quality that does not unduly impact the health and safety of …

BC Hydro is saying goodbye to many of its copper wires
News1130
So BC Hydro and Telus are making changes to prevent that. Hydro is planning to eventually replace all copper grounding cables with a mulitmetal which isn’t so valuable for thieves. In fact, it’s worth nothing to scrap dealers.

Nuclear

Federal review of new reactors neglects Ontarians’ health and financial safety
Nuclear power too costly, Ontario Clean Air Alliance argues
Toronto Star
“Pursuant to the National Energy Board Act, Hydro Quebec must give Ontario an opportunity to purchase electricity on terms and conditions as favorable as its export sale,” it says. Ontario, which now gets only 1.8 per cent of its power from Quebec, …

Nervous about nuclear, post-tsunami Japan looks to Canada for energy
Globe and Mail
The nuclear-plant meltdown caused by the disaster has Japan rethinking nuclear energy, and that makes the country more keenly interested in Western Canadian pipelines that might one day bring natural gas to be shipped overseas to Asia.

Hydro Costs

Billions in new power lines and hundreds in monthly bills – the …
‎Globe and Mail
A Hydro-Québec study showed Calgary and Edmonton had Canada’s highest average residential power rates in 2011. Preparing for an election, Ms. Redford has …

Are smart meters to blame for ballooning hydro bills?
‎CTV.ca
CTV News has been flooded with hundreds of emails claiming smart meters are to blame for ballooning hydro bills, but some number crunching may reveal a …

Energy: Ontario overpaying to meet peak electricity demand, consultant argues
Toronto Star
Electricity system equipped to meet rare periods of high demand and its costing Ontario $1.5 billion a year, a report says

Canada to face labour crunch as new power projects soar, study finds
National Post
Canada is forecast to spend $347.5-billion providing new electricity capacity from 2011 to 2030, according to a new study, but the demands of the infrastructure outlay will exert acute pressure on an already tight labour market.

ICBC, BC Hydro customers paying taxes in disguise to the province
The Province
‎These taxes in disguise will see the government plunder ICBC and BC Hydro of more than $2 billion in revenue from British Columbians’ insurance premiums and …

Redford launches probe into Alberta’s variable electricity rates
‎Calgary Herald
Premier Alison Redford has announced the creation of an independent panel to scrutinize the province’svariable electricity rates, adding she’s …

Enercom

Don Drummond among keynote speakers at ENERCOM 2012
‎DigitalJournal.com
The MEARIE Group is the service provider of choice to the Ontario electricity industry. The company leverages an intimate knowledge of the industry to …

EVs

Just as the name has it — Canada Lithium will be Canada’s sole …
‎National Post
Not only had CanadaLithium managed to keep Quebec Lithium — located 60 kilometres … When you combine the competitive advantage of Quebec with cheap hydro …

Clenergen to Partner With Niskibi Power Corporation to Supply Up …

Smart Grid Funding

Burlington Electric Department Proceeds with Siemens as a Partner for Its ARRA …
MarketWatch
BED and several other Vermont utilities worked together with the state of Vermont to secure Smart Grid Investment Grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The grant allowed BED to jump start its Smart Grid plans.

Number of Installed Prepaid Electricity Meters Will Surpass 33 …
‎MarketWatch
Although only a handful of jurisdictions in the United States support prepaid electricity programs today,

International

Germany plans to cut solar subsidies faster than expected
The Globe and Mail
Incentive cuts of up to 30 per cent as of March 9 designed to slow rapid growth of alternative power source, shares in producers plunge

Germany’s $270 Billion Renewables Shift Biggest Since War
Bloomberg
“The energy transformation is the biggest modernization and infrastructure project in the coming decade,” Roettgen said in a televised speech on March 11. “Whether other countries follow our model will depend on whether we succeed.

Germany, Denmark’s Renewable Energy Transition Empowering Offshore Wind
CleanTechnica
Activity in Europe’s offshore wind sector continues to increase, as European government and industry continue to follow through on plans to make the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Offshore wind installations are a big part of …

Obama’s emphasis on alternative energy comes with political risks amid calls …
Fox News
The gap between President Obama and many Republicans over energy policy approaches Grand Canyon dimensions. President Obama makes no secret of his views, referring to oil as “yesterday’s” energy and making clear his goal is to wean us off fossil fuels …

Irish eco-targets still blowing in the wind
Irish Independent
And Ireland will be the last country in the EU to introduce elevated prices for renewables such as Renewable Energy Feed In Tariffs (REFIT). This is despite the fact that the introduction of sensible policies would tick so many boxes in terms of …

Obama Calls For Focus On Renewable Energy
RTT News
President Barack Obama Thursday called on the country to refocus the nation’s energy production on renewable sources. Speaking in Florida, Obama said that this year’s rising gasoline prices highlight the need to move to more renewable …

First Non-Degree Renewable Energy Program in North America
‎Solar Novus Today
The North Carolina Solar Centre is launching the Certificate in Renewable Energy Management (CREM) in March 2012 and is offering its Renewable Energy …

Innovation

Spain solar power station works at night
Times LIVE
A woman walks at the new solar power plant Gemasolar in Fuentes de Andalucia, southern Spain. A unique thermosolar power station in southern Spain can shrug off cloudy days: energy stored when the sun shines lets it produce electricity even during the …

Authenticated electricity: Sony power outlets will charge you for charging
Ars Technica
But the technology will have many important uses, Sony says, from managing payments for recharging electrical vehicles to avoiding blackouts by intelligently regulating the use of power. Announced by Sony last month, and demonstrated today in a video …

NYC has solar, wind power plans for old dump site
‎CanadianBusiness.com
A New York City site once known for the size of its garbage heaps would be home to alternative energy sources that …

Nelson Unveils Innovative Energy Retrofit Program for Homeowners
‎The Nelson Daily
It is on your hydro bill so we have a mechanism to ensure we can recover the loan. … She says Nelson is leading the way in Canada.

Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards Winners: Innovation
‎RenewableEnergyWorld.com
The nominations have been reviewed; the editors votes are in and we are now pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards. Over the next three days, …

Smart Meters

Hydro-Québec customers can opt out of smart meters
Montreal Gazette
Hydro-Québec has modified its proposal for the planned rollout of smart meters to allow for an opt-out clause. Customers who decide to not use a smart meter for health or other concerns would pay an extra $200 a year under a proposal filed Thursday …

NorthGrid Solar Constructing 701kW FIT Rooftop Solar Project with Elevated Truss
Canada NewsWire
… an Ontario-based Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company, is pleased to announce the construction of a 701kW rooftop solar project, part of the Ontario Power Authority’s Feed In Tariff (FIT) Program and located at The Metropolitan …

Other

NextEra Energy Resources Completes Acquisition of Ontario Solar …
‎Financial Post
… (PV) projects totaling 40 megawatts (AC) in Ontario, Canada from First Solar. … contracts under its Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP).

Verschuren Joins New Venture to Commercialize Energy Storage
MarketWatch
One of Canada’s top entrepreneurs, Annette Verschuren is teaming up with Toronto-based Northwater Capital in a venture that will commercialize Energy Storage technologies.
Ontario NDP stymied in bid to find out power plant cancellation costs
‎Toronto Star
Ontario taxpayers remain in the dark about how much it cost the Liberal government to cancel two electricity plants …

OPG reports lower profit
Toronto Star
Ontario Power Generation reported lower profit in 2011 as electricity prices and returns on its nuclear funds declined

PowerStream Invests in Environmental Education at York University
Marketwire
York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri and PowerStream Board Chair and Town of Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti today announced a significant investment towards sustainable energy …
Energy efficiency device remains in limbo
‎Toronto Star

The energy savings pay back the investment within five years, he says. The problem, however, is that they’re not recognized in the Ontario government’s …

Linamar receives $843868 from Guelph Hydro
Guelph Mercury
Boccalon Giorgio Boccalon, key accounts manager at Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. speaks to a crowd of local large business owners at the Energy Management Technical Symposium at the Frank Hasenfratz Centre of Manufacturing Excellence on Wednesday.

OEB

March 15, 2012 – The Board has made changes (Notice of Amendment) to the Unit Sub-Metering Code to provide additional consumer protection. These changes are effective March 15, 2013…

March 19, 2012 – The Board has issued final amendments to the Electricity Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements (RRR) related to customer service rules. The amendments will come into force on January 1, 2013…

IESO

Two Clarifications Made to Meteorological Data Submission Requirements

Celebrating 100 Years of EDA Accomplishments

IESO Reaches Centralized Forecasting Milestone

Comments Welcome on Preliminary Release Plan 27.1 for Changes to IESO Systems

In this issue of GridWatch, we lead off with a round-up of the much anticipated FIT review, results of were released March 22nd.  The Province of Ontario’s statement reports taking immediate steps to ensure the long-term sustainability of renewable energy while creating more jobs, lowering prices and giving communities a greater say. Rates for solar projects are reduced by more than 20 per cent and wind projects by approximately 15 per cent.

Read more on the stakeholder and media positions in this month’s GridWatch.

Capital Investment as well as Smart Grid funding generated much of the dialog of the 2011 GridSmartCity Round Table, held in November. The Report on Proceedings from that event was released earlier today. GirdWatch subscribers please look for a copy in your Inbox.

Our 2nd featured GridWatch trend this month is Solar Bankruptcies. There have been several high profile bankruptcies in Germany, Ontario and the US, some might argue drawing the health of the sector into question. But news of these bankruptcies comes amidst reports of record clean energy investment for 2011.

GridWatch continues to keep pace with GridSmartCity Partner innovation – this month’s top item involves a high profile contract for S&C Electric with NASA.  Eaton makes headlines again with an interesting alliance with Coloumb Technologies.

GridWatch will maintain a close eye on EVs through Q1. Some industry forecasts for EV sales are down moderately year-over-year, as consumers express concern over recent safety issues with the Chevy volt and continued trepidation about the sticker price and range in between charges. 2012 has been billed as a make or break year for EVs, with numerous models hitting the showrooms. GM’s Chevy Volt failed to meet projections for 2011, but  plans to expand production to 60,000 this year. On January 6th KPMG released the results of a global survey of auto executive expectations on consumer demand for all e-vehicles.

On the wind front, the OPA wrapped up the feedback portion of its scheduled review of the FIT program, reporting 2,900 survey responses.

Our featured video this month  showcases VW’s Concept EV unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show.

Issue Round Up 1 — Toronto Hydro Rate Increase

Toronto Hydro seeks to avoid layoffs and end feud with energy board
Toronto Star
Toronto Hydro chairman Clare Copeland says his company would like to meet Ontario Energy Board officials to resolve their public feud.

Cohn: Toronto Hydro’s brinkmanship the mark of a monopoly
Toronto Star
The last time Toronto Hydro made big news, a couple of dogs were electrocuted on the streets of Toronto. Sparing no expense, our heroic local utility swung into action to prevent any more freak accidents: It redeployed crews across Toronto to inspect equipment for stray voltage that zaps canines. Now, Toronto Hydro is back on the front pages — except this time all of us are on the firing line, human fodder for the electricity company in a high-stakes war to raise rates: The utility has issued a dire public warning that blackouts are coming and safety is at risk unless it gets more money.

Energy board denies Toronto Hydro rate hike for system upgrade
The Globe and Mail
Toronto residents won’t have to pay more to light up their houses in the near future.

Toronto Hydro gets rid of hundreds of contract staff following OEB ruling
Toronto Star
Toronto Hydro has axed contractors employing between 700 and 1,000 workers after receiving a stinging rebuke from the Ontario Energy Board.

How Toronto Hydro spends more and takes more in than other utilities
The Toronto Star
As Toronto Hydro launches a savage cost-cutting campaign and warns of more blackouts, evidence filed with the Ontario Energy Board shows the utility’s revenues are 50 per cent higher than its peers.

Toronto Hydro cuts shock contractors
Toronto Star
Martin Briggs never saw it coming. Neither did his boss, Ben Matin. Briggs has lost his job. Matin stands to lose his business – Powerline Plus – in the wake of Toronto Hydro’s decision to chop 1,000 or more jobs in its own operations and those of contractors like Powerline.

Toronto Hydro workers face layoffs
CBC.ca
One company that does work for Toronto Hydro laid off more than 100 people Wednesday, and the city utility is warning of layoffs of its own. The axe has already dropped at Powerline Plus Ltd., a contractor that runs overhead wires. ..

Toronto Hydro gets rid of hundreds of contract staff following OEB ruling
Toronto Star
Toronto Hydro has axed contractors employing between 700 and 1,000 workers after receiving a stinging rebuke from the Ontario Energy Board.

Toronto Hydro’s PR plan: Give us cash or we fire everyone and the city goes dark
National Post
Last week, the Ontario Energy Board denied Toronto Hydro’s request for a rate hike for homes within the city limits. The hike, which would have meant a monthly increase of five dollars for a typical household, was necessary, Toronto Hydro said, to renew the city’s electrical transmission grid. Failure to do so, they warned, could result in more, and longer, blackouts.

Issue Round-up  2 – Solar Bankruptcies

The role of electrical distributors in the solar industry in 2012 and beyond
WESCO Renewables Blog
The solar industry kicks off 2012 with lots of momentum and cause for celebration from 2011.  The third quarter of 2011 was a record year for the US Solar industry, and as Q4 numbers will hopefully confirm, 2011 marked another record year for the US solar industry.

Solar Millennium Files For Bankruptcy As Solar Shakeout Continues

Forbes
Presaging a shakeout in the New Year for solar developers, German company Solar Millennium on Wednesday filed for insolvency, putting in doubt the future of its 2,250-megawatt pipeline of power plants in the United States.

Timminco files for bankruptcy protection
Canadian Press
TORONTO— The Canadian Press Silicon metal producer Timminco Limited IS filing for bankruptcy protection from creditors while it restructures under the federal Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. Timminco said Tuesday it made the move because the company’s financial position had deteriorated and it is finding it increasingly difficult to raise money.

Partners in The News

Eaton Corporation and Coulomb Technologies Connect Electric …
‎MarketWatch (press release)
LAS VEGAS, Jan 09, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Eaton Corporation and Coulomb Technologies today announced plans to significantly expand the North American …

S&C UPS protects NASA from outages
‎Fierce Energy – 5 Jan 2012
S&C Electric Company has provided for NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communication Complex with a PureWave UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). …

Elster Highlights Smart Grid System Interoperability at …
‎Sacramento Bee
“By enabling vital connections in the energy ecosystem, innovating smarter utility technology and providing true system interoperability, Elster is proving …

Oakville Hydro seeks new board members
InsideHalton.com
“The recruitment process represents an opportunity for business leaders to step up and offer their expertise to help guide Oakville Hydro’s long-term strategic planning and management.” – Oakville Mayor Rob Burton
Oakville Hydro needs qualified local …

Peak hydro pricing begins in Burlington
Hamilton Spectator
4, and will roll out across the city until the end of February, was mentioned in hydro billing inserts in the fall. TOU prices are set by the Ontario Energy Board and are adjusted every six months. TOU prices for the winter period, Nov. …

Not to worry, the bill will come
The Kingston Whig Standard
For Utilities Kingston customers wondering where their hydro bills are, relax.

Smart Meters , TOU, Hydro Costs

Tunnel costs going on bills
Niagarathisweek.com
Ontario’s Energy Minister Chris Bentley paid his first visit to Ontario’s largest construction project on Wednesday morning. Bentley joined senior executives from Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in a tour of the 10.2 kilometre Niagara tunnel project, …

Smart meter deployment on the rise globally
EE Times
Smart meter and smart grid deployments have increased significantly during 2011, particularly in North America, according to a newly released report by market watcher Pike Research. According to the firm’s analysis, global smart meter shipments reached …

Canada

Ottawa backtracks on coal emissions
The Globe and Mail
The federal government is offering the provinces a way to avoid tough new regulations that would eventually force power companies to shut down the country’s fleet of coal-fired power plants.

Natural-gas plans threaten greenhouse-gas targets
The Globe and Mail
The B.C. Liberals’ ambitious jobs plan will run headlong into its environmental goals of greenhouse-gas reduction in 2020, if not before.

Smart meters ignite fierce debate in BC
CBC.ca
A heated debate is underway in BC as the province’s hydro utility embarks on a program to modernize the grid using smart meters. BC Hydro is in the process of replacing more than 1.8 million analog meters throughout the province with smart meters, ..

Customer Communications

Hydro debt retirement charge reporting proposed in Ontario
Toronto Star
After nearly a decade of collecting a “debt retirement charge” on hydro bills, the Ontario government says it will give consumers an accounting of where their money has gone

Evs

Auto Execs Predict Low Electric Vehicle Sales Into 2025, Survey Reports
Edmunds Inside Line
According to a survey of global auto executives, released Thursday by consulting firm KPMG, consumer demand for all e-vehicles, from full hybrids to FCEVs, will still be modest even by 2025.

GM’s Akerson Says He Will Align Volt Production to Sales Demand
Bloomberg
GM the largest U.S. automaker, will adjust production of the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt to meet demand, Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson said

Electric car guinea pigs say goodbye to gas stations
Globe and Mail
I honestly don’t know how I convinced my wife to join me in becoming electric car guinea pigs.

Electric cars dominate ecoEnergy awards
Globe and Mail
The most fuel-efficient vehicles in Canada are now largely electrified, Natural Resources Canada says, with at least six of the federal department’s recently announced 11 ecoEnergy award categories won by either gas-electric hybrids or plug-in electric …

Electric vehicle network powers up in Quebec
Montreal Gazette
By Lynn Moore, THE GAZETTE January 13, 2012 A Mitsubishi i-MiEV drives next to a truck after a Hydro-Québec news conference. MONTREAL – Electric vehicle pioneers will soon have less to fret about as they travel Quebec roads because Canada’s first …

GM to call back 8000 Chevy Volts: source
Toronto Star
Battery powered for the first 25 to 50 miles after charging up, the electric-powered Chevy Volt’s on-board generator automatically provides additional electricity to continue on for another 300 miles, when needed. DETROIT — General Motors will …

Largest electric vehicle trial in Canada – Hydro-Québec delivers 10 i-MiEVs to …
DigitalJournal.com (press release)
19, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ – Hydro-Québec is pleased to announce that 10 Mitsubishi i-MiEVs were delivered this morning to Boucherville businesses selected for the third and final phase of the largest electric vehicle (EV) trial in Canada

Hydro

Hydro electricity generates more greenhouse gases than previously believed: study
CTV.ca
An environmental group asserts that the federal government greatly underestimates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are produced by hydro electric facilities

International

Global clean energy investment reaches record high
Financial Post
Global investment in clean energy hit a record US$260-billion in 2011, up 5% from the previous year as investment in solar grew by more than a third despite shrinking profit margins, some bankruptcies and flagging share prices, a report said.

All eyes on German renewable effort
The Press Association
Yet environmentalists, experts and politicians from across the world have flocked to Feldheim, home to just 145 people, in the past year to learn how it is already putting into practice Germany’s vision of a future powered entirely by renewable energy. …

Green energy surpasses nuclear, coal in German 2011 energy mix
Platts
Renewable energy has become Germany’s second-most important energy source, surpassing nuclear and coal and ranking just behind lignite in this year’s energy mix table, German energy industry association BDEW said Friday. Germany’s share of renewable …

Japan wants to make the smart grid even more like the Internet
Smart Grid News
By Jesse Berst We’ve long made comparisons between the Internet and the smart grid. Now a Japanese consortium is working to develop large-scale grids that handle power like the Internet handles data. The current vision of the smart grid is long on …

Labor Relations

Welcome to reality, Premier Dad
Toronto Sun
Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter recently revealed 50000 new jobs promised in McGuinty’s 2009 Green Energy Act are a mirage. McCarter estimated 30000 will last no more than three years and found each “green” job will cost the public several hundred …

Nuclear

Japan to allow 60-year reactor lifespan despite Fukushima
Reuters
Japan will allow nuclear reactors to operate for up to 60 years in revised regulations on power plant operators, the government said on Wednesday, even as it looks to shift gradually away from atomic power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

Darlington nuclear generating station proceeds with refurbishment project
Durham Region News
Ontario Power Generation has taken two more steps toward refurbishing its Darlington nuclear generating station

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant declared stable
The Toronto Star
Declaring Japan has turned a corner in the battle to stabilize its tsunami-damaged nuclear plant, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced Friday the facility has achieved a stable state of “cold shutdown,” a crucial step toward lifting evacuation orders and closing the plant.

Policy

Ontario Government Clarifies Property-Tax Rules For Renewable Energy Projects
North American Windpower
The province of Ontario has added greater clarity to the property-tax treatment of renewable energy generation facilities by amending Ontario Regulation 282/98 under Ontario’s Primary Property tax statute: the Assessment Act. The objective of the …

Improving Property Tax System For Green Energy
Government of Ontario News
Ontario is supporting property owners who install renewable energy technologies by improving property tax assessment policies for them. The changes will provide greater clarity by creating additional categories for property tax assessment based on the …

Regulatory

January 11, 2012 – The Board has issued a Notice of Application and Written Hearing regarding an application filed by Metrolinx for an Electricity Generation Licence.

January 5, 2012 – The Board has issued its Decision with Reasons and Order on the Preliminary Issue for Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited’s application for 2012, 2013 and 2014 distribution rates …

Changes to Ontario’s Installed Generation Capacity

December 15, 2011 – The Board has issued Guideline G-2011-0001: Smart Meter Funding and Cost Recovery – Final Disposition …

Security

Smart grids called vulnerable to hackers
Houston Chronicle
By Emily Pickrell, HOUSTON CHRONICLE Smart electric grids will need even smarter cybersecurity to keep them safe from would-be hackers, an energy expert said at a scientific conference Friday. “A smart grid, by connecting the power industry to the ..

Solar

Osgoode solar farm gets board approval
Ottawa Citizen
A new solar farm in Osgoode got its operating approvals from the Ontario Energy Board last month. The 10-megawatt installation at Parkway and Yorks Corners roads was approved Dec. 6, with a licence to generate for 20 years. …

TransCanada buys solar energy projects for $470 million
Toronto Star
TransCanada Corp., one of the biggest oil and gas pipeline companies in the world, has snapped up nine solar power plants across Ontario from a subsidiary of Kitchener-based Canadian Solar

Supply

Power blackout risk could grow, Toronto Hydro workers warn
Toronto Star
A 28-hour power outage in a Scarborough neighbourhood this week could become the norm throughout Toronto, unions representing Toronto Hydro workers are warning

Sustainability

Greening condos really pays off
Toronto Star
Building green condominiums from the ground up could cut natural gas costs by 50 per cent, a long-term experiment with two nearly identical Tridel buildings in Etobicoke has discovered.

Small changes yield big energy savings for Canadian companies
The Globe and Mail
In their drive for productivity improvement, managers at the St. Marys Cement Inc. plant in Bowmanville, Ont., have put their operation on a strict energy diet, and in the process shaved $1-million off annual operating costs.

Travelling green pays off
Financial Post
When Tom Heintzman travels, he either uses a plug-in hybrid car or purchases carbon offsets for all of his flights, takes public transport from the airport where possible, and uses hotel chains that are powered at least partially by renewable energy.

United States

‘Green energy’ is the best route to profitable public investment
MiamiHerald.com

Renewable energy passed nuclear as power source in US in September
Austin Business Journal
Renewable energy sources — wind, water, solar and others — passed nuclear generation as a share of US power in September. Renewable energy sources — wind, water, solar and others — passed nuclear generation as a share of US power in September, …

Two Utilities Win Approval For Nuclear Power Plants
New York Times
In fact, it is not clear whether ground will be broken on any additional reactors soon; industry experts say the biggest obstacle is that the price of natural gas remains quite low, making it difficult to produce electricity from a reactor at a price …

Wind

Wind project could fill Hamilton’s sails
Hamilton Spectator
It is good news that Hamilton stands to benefit from an offshore wind-energy project proposed for Lake Ontario near Kingston.

Neighbours sue farmers for offering land to wind turbine development
Toronto Star
Sylvia and John Wiggins put their 48-acre horse farm near Stayner up for sale last summer for $1.25 million. Then a wind developer sent out notices of its plans to put up big wind turbines…

Turbines could be spinning by 2013
Niagarathisweek.com
Under the Green Energy Act, decision-making powers on green energy projects, including solar and wind, are left up to the province, not the municipality in which they are to be located. Switzer’s comments summed up those of council, which had several …

FIT Review Brings Uncertainty To Ontario’s Wind Energy Market
North American Windpower
by Marnie Dawson on Tuesday 03 January 2012 When Ontario’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program was launched as part of the Green Energy Act in 2009, it was mandated that a review of the program occur two years after its commencement. On Oct. 31, 2011,

Expert Report Confirms No Direct Health Effects From Wind Turbines
Ontario Government News Release
An expert report has concluded there is no direct health risk from wind turbine sound at Ontario’s regulated setback distance.

More wind turbines on the horizon
Toronto Sun
You don’t need a doctor to know which way the wind blows, the turbine friendly government of Ontario says.

Undercurrents

Regulatory Certainty was the theme for our November 24th GridSmartCity Round Table, as 200 industry stakeholders shared views on how to unleash the potential of the Smart Utility of the Future, while ensuring meeting and exceeding on customer expectations and finding suitable sources of funding, are  key pieces of the equation.  It’s a topic that has been making headlines ever since.

On December 5th, the Ontario Auditor General released its 2011 Annual report, calling on Ministries to “do a better job collecting meaningful and reliable information about their programs”, and specifically calling out Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure decision makers to be armed with “better information to help in striking the appropriate balance between promoting green energy and the higher electricity prices.”  On December 7th, The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, the province’s independent environmental watchdog, described the government’s energy conservation achievements as “substantial, but incomplete. “   Though all this, the scheduled two-year review of Ontario’s Feed-in-Tariff program  kicked off, as well a private member’s bill  to restore local powers to oppose green energy projects,  all this amidst  significant government and  stakeholder posturing both for and against.

Meanwhile significant innovation continues, to get a glimpse of which we need not look any further than our own GridSmartCity Partners, such as Elster staking claim to world’s first ZigBee-certified wireless water meter, and  S&C Electric’s simulated 74 square mile Smart Grid Demonstration Centre in Chicago.  The latter is the subject of this month’s featured video.  And it’s right in the proper context  … the ever allusive need to better explain what the SmartGrid is, its benefits, and how to pay for it.

GridSmartCity Partners in the News

Eaton Corporation

Eaton Corp. plugs $2000 home electric car recharger
The Province
More electric charging stations are coming on line in new buildings but the City of Vancouver still only has two public stations, …

Electric cars need more than plug-and-play
Metro News
Once just a possibility, electric vehicles are now making their way to market. But just because you can buy a battery-powered car like the Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt, don’t expect to simply bring it home and plug it in.

Electrical Safety Authority
Safe Holiday Decorating Is Not Top of Mind With Ontarians
Marketwire
Survey Finds That Only 15% of Ontarians Check for Overhead Power Lines Before Decorating
A survey commissioned by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), has found that Ontarians are guilty of skipping basic steps when decorating this holiday season. With an increasingly busy holiday schedule and growing to-do lists, many Ontarians are ignoring important safety steps and guidelines when putting up their holiday lights. The Electrical Safety Authority, a leader in electrical safety, is urging Ontarians to check for overhead power lines before using a ladder to put up decorations, and to practice safe holiday decorating.

Guelph, Ont. man dies while stringing Christmas lights
CTV
Police say a 29-year-old man from Elora, Ont. died while stringing up Christmas lights.

IESO

ENBALA Power Networks, The University Of Toronto And IESO Receive An Engage Grant From The Canadian Government
ElectricNet
ENBALA Power Networks, a Toronto-based company that pays large electricity users to connect to the Smart Grid, has teamed up with the University of Toronto and the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) on a research project that has been awarded an Engage Grant from the Government of Canada

IESO Forecasts Adequate Supply Over the Next 18 Months
Over the next 18 months Ontario will continue to have an adequate supply of electricity to meet consumers’ needs, confirms the IESO in its most recent 18-month outlook report. Released today, the report also makes recommendations to ensure the reliability of the electricity system can continue to be maintained in the future.

Elster

Elster Enables World’s First ZigBee-Certified Water Meter ‎
PR Newswire (press release)
The world’s first ZigBee-certified wireless water meter developed by Elster and Freestyle Technology is using ZigBee technology .

Ontario Power Authority

Agreement Reached to Stop Construction of Mississauga Power Plant
OPA Release
Ontario Power Authority (OPA) announced today that it has reached an agreement with Greenfield South Power Corporation to stop construction at Greenfield’s power plant site in Mississauga. There will be no gas plant located on this site. The OPA and Greenfield will continue to discuss details, including an agreement on facility relocation.

S&C Electric

S&C Celebrates 100th Anniversary with New Smart Grid Solutions Demonstration Center
You Tube
S&C Electric Company is celebrating its centennial anniversary with the opening of its Smart Grid Solutions Demonstration Center at the company’s global headquarters in Chicago. The demonstration center will allow electric utilities and other visitors to see, in real time, how smart grid technologies respond to grid issues and optimize power delivery systems.

S&C Key Notes at Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Asia 2011 Conference
Voxy.co.nz
Smart grid technologies are great, but there’s a lot more to be done – we have to engage with the consumer in a meaningful way so they understand the real and substantial advantages that a smart grid will deliver to them as consumers,’ said Wanda Reder, Vice President of Power Systems Services at S&C Electric Company Eaton

Union Gas

Union Gas Urges All Parties to Come Together to Pass Ontario One Call Act
Union Gas Release
Ontario should move to pass the Ontario One Call Act – a bill that will improve safety, save money and increase productivity – says Union Gas, one of Canada’s largest natural gas utilities and a long-time advocate for this kind of mandatory legislation.

TD Commercial

Canadian stimulus helped America too: Ed Clark
National Post
Billions of dollars of stimulus funds doled out by Ottawa over the past three years not only ensured Canada didn’t slip into recession, it also helped prop up the U.S. economy, the chief executive of Toronto-Dominion Bank said Tuesday

Politics

Canada wants new climate deal by 2015: Environment minister
Canada.com
Canada is pushing for a new binding international climate change regime to come into effect within four years to avoid dangerous interference with the atmosphere, Environment Minister Peter Kent says.

Thompson named Deputy Critic to Ministry of Energy by Ontario PC leader
Goderich Signal-Star
Thompson said she has been tasked by Hudak to delve into the Green Energy Act, focusing on health issues and municipal authority related to wind turbine placement. “When speaking to Tim Hudak about the job, he said, ‘Lisa, it will allow you to continue …

Ontario Energy Board

December 17, 2010 – Distribution Network Investment Planning
The Ontario Energy Board initiated a consultation process to ensure that distributor investment plans are demonstrably economically efficient and cost-effective, and paced so as to match required expenditures with fair and reasonable rate adjustments and predictable changes to the elements of customer bills affected by the plans.  This initiative is part of a coordinated consultative process to develop a renewed regulatory framework for electricity.

December 6, 2011 –  Notice of Application and Written Hearing regarding an Application filed by BP Canada Energy Company for an Electricity Wholesaler Licence…
November 23, 2011 –Letter outlining Phase 2 in the initiative to develop system reliability standards for electricity distributors …
November 23, 2011 – December 8-9, 2011 Renewed Regulatory Framework Staff Information Session …
November 4, 2011 -  Monthly monitoring report on smart meter implementation and the application of time-of-use pricing …

2011 Annual Report from  Office of the Auditor General

“Good Decisions Require Good Information,” says Ontario Auditor General

(TORONTO) Provincial ministries and agencies must do a better job of collecting meaningful and reliable information about their programs, Auditor General Jim McCarter said today on the release of his 2011 Annual Report.

“Getting the right information to help ensure the best decisions are made is all the more important given the fiscal challenges Ontario currently faces,” McCarter said, noting that he flagged this problem in his eight previous Annual Reports. “In our audits this year, we found a number of instances where better information would help management improve program operations and guide long-term strategic planning.”

The Green Energy and Green Economy Act authorized the government to fast-track the development of wind and solar power projects without many of the usual planning, regulatory, and oversight processes. On a go-forward basis, it will be important that government decision-makers are provided with information to assist them in striking the appropriate balance between promoting green energy and the higher electricity prices that households and business enterprises will be paying for such energy.

Links to Annual Report ….

Electricity Sector—Regulatory Oversight

Electricity Sector—Renewable Energy Initiatives

Electricity Sector—Stranded Debt

Issue Round-up –  Report by Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller on Smart Meters and Conservation

Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller Report Questions Smart Meters Usefulness
Toronto Sun
A billion dollars later and Ontario has no way of knowing how effective smart meters are in helping conserve electricity, the province’s environment commissioner said Wednesday. “That’s regrettable,” Gord Miller …

Ontario doesn’t know if ’smart meters’ are working
CBC.ca
Ontario’s environmental watchdog says the province has no idea if its hydro ’smart meters’ are having any effect on electricity conservation. The report is likely to cause controversy given the Ontario government’s plan to install the meters at every …

Environmental commish points out flaws in smart-meter system

Sun News Network
Smart-meters, used in Ontario, are getting a bad rap thanks to a new report. Every day, 4.7 million smart meters in homes and businesses across Ontario record and transmit data on the province’s electrical usage to a central data bank. …

Ont. fails to meet almost all energy conservation targets

CTV.ca
The environment commissioner also took the government to task for not having any method to calculate the impact of smart meters and time-of-use pricing for electricity. “We’ve had several years’ warning the smart meters were going to be put in place …

Liberals need to do better on conservation, environment watchdog warns

Toronto Star
Miller was critical of the time-of-use pricing “smart meter” program, noting the government is only now beginning to measure how much power is being saved by consumers choosing to access it at off-peak hours. He also said he was worried that utilities …

Issue Round-up 1– FIT Review >>> Negative

Ontario’s green energy blunder
Toronto Sun
Around the world, governments that leapt before they looked in jumping on the green energy bandwagon are now desperately trying to jump off. That’s why it’s no surprise the debt-ridden Liberal government of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is gearing up …

Ontario’s Feed-in-Tariff program Special
DigitalJournal.com
Toronto – Ontario’s Feed-in-Tariff program is about to receive a scheduled two-year review. And as the government reviews how the program has been operating since its November 2009 launch, I spoke with one Ontario resident who just linked into the

Hudak Renews Call to End Expensive FIT Program
NorthumberlandView.ca
QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak today called on the McGuinty government to stop ignoring the warning signs and end the expensive Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program, which is increasing the cost of energy for businesses and killing jobs. …

Uncertainty clouds struggling solar power industry
The Globe and Mail
Beaten-up solar stocks may look tempting for bargain-conscious investors, but for now the sector is only for the brave.

Review will determine whether Ontario’s green energy subsidy FIT is fit program
Ottawa Citizen
At the same time, the FIT program has resulted in virtually no green energy. As of mid-October, projects stemming from the Green Energy Act amounted to 95 megawatts (MW) of power — the equivalent of 0.27 per cent of 34882 MW of generation that …

Time running out for Ontario solar-power investors
The Globe and Mail
The next few months are make-or-break for Ken Burns’s solar-installation business.
Regulatory

Green Act changes spark fear
Windsor Star
Energy Minister Chris Bentley announced earlier this week the province will review the feed-in-tariff program, which is the basis of the Green Energy Act. The feed-in-tariff program pays above-market rates for individuals to produce green energy via …

Energy policy shifts spook investors, says TransAlta’s Snyder
Toronto Star
Sudden energy policy shifts can drive up the price of power for consumers, says the head of one of Canada’s biggest private generating companies.

Slow going for wind project
Woodstock Sentinel Review
Prowind Canada Inc. received a Feed-In Tariff (FIT) contract in July for its 10-turbine Gunn’s Hill Road project, but it will be months – if not years – before the blades begin to turn. Juan Anderson, project developer for Prowind, said there is still …

Issue Round-up – FIT Review >>> Positive

Moving Renewable Energy Forward
Government News Release

“The response to our microFIT and FIT programs has been tremendous, with thousands of Ontarians participating in our clean energy economy. This review is part of our plan to transform our electricity system and ensure a sustainable clean energy program. Our efforts are working – attracting investment, creating thousands of jobs and building a better future for our children and grandchildren.”

– Chris Bentley, Minister of Energy  Ministers’ Statement Q & A / NOW Toronto

Clean Energy Economy Creating Jobs For Windsor Families
Ontario Government News Room

McGuinty shrugs off auditor’s critique of green energy
Toronto Star
An unrepentant Premier Dalton McGuinty is standing firm on his green energy policies despite the auditor general’s disapproval.

Dalton McGuinty defends green energy pledge
CBC.ca
Dalton McGuinty didn’t waver from his commitment to renewable energy, which includes more wind farms, the Green Energy Act and a $7-billion deal with Samsung. ‘We moved forward aggressively, there’s no doubt about that whatsoever.

McGuinty opens CS Wind in Windsor
Windsor Star
WINDSOR, Ont. — Premier Dalton McGuinty defended his government’s Green Energy Act in Windsor on Tuesday, saying that the Liberals have made a clear choice to move away from the harmful health effects of coal-fired energy, towards a cleaner, …

Issue Round-up – FIT Review
Private Members Bill to Restore Local  Powers to Oppose Green Energy Projects

Alternative energy to remain a provincial matter: minister
Northumberland Today
Despite resolutions from some communities, calls for changes by wind turbine opponents and a private members’ bill asking that green-energy planning be returned to the municipal level, Ontario’s energy minister opposes changing the provincial rules.

Easy to be green when your roof saves you money
The Globe and Mail
Thousands of hand-planted sedums and succulents cover the roofs of Walmart and Canadian Tire, anchor tenants at the Onni Group’s Fremont Village shopping centre.

Province set to review Feed-In Tariff energy supply program
Orangeville Banner
Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones hopes a review of the provincial Feed-in Tariff program (FIT) will place power back into the hands of municipal governments. The Ministry of Energy has issued a call to Ontarians to share their thoughts on the program

MPP wants to give power over green energy back to cities
Toronto Star
The Green Energy Act passed by the Liberals exempted wind turbines, solar panels and other green energy facilities from municipal zoning rules. Smith’s bill would cancel the exemption, allowing municipalities to set zoning rules for installations like …

Tory MPP wants to let municipalities oppose wind farms
CTV.ca
Tory Todd Smith says his private member’s bill would give municipalities more say in such projects, which are being built over the objections of local residents. He says the bill would remove a section of the Green Energy Act that stripped

Wind turbine delay sought
London Free Press
Under the current version of the province’s Green Energy Act, municipalities have no decision-making power when it comes to green-energy projects. Norwich council was prompted to formally write the province after meeting multiple times with members of …

Hydro Rates / HST / Energy Benefit

Consumers to face higher power prices
Toronto Star
Ontario’s local electric utilities need “billion and billions” of dollars in investment, and will be seeking higher prices to raise the money, says the head of the utilities’ association.

Hamilton: Time to reboot Ontario’s approach to energy conservation
Toronto Star
What is the province doing to help homeowners conserve energy and cope with rising electricity prices?

Don’t understand hydro? Don’t worry. Just pay up
Toronto Star
When Ontario’s auditor-general has trouble figuring out what’s on a hydro bill, what hope do the rest of us have?

OPG Submits Documents for Regulatory Approvals Process in Support of Darlington Refurbishment and Continued Operation.
Ontario Power Generation News Release

HST first target
Kenora Daily Miner
Ontario’s NDP will take the first step toward fulfilling a campaign promise to knock the HST off home heating costs when Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Mantha introduces a private member’s bill Thursday.

Ontario NDP moves to take HST off home heating
Toronto Star
The first showdown of Ontario’s minority government is underway.

Ontario NDP plans to ask to take HST off hydro bills
CTV.ca
TORONTO — Ontario’s New Democrats will bring in a private member’s bill in an effort to get the provincial portion of the HST removed from hydro bills. …

Hydro pricing change moves ahead
Toronto Sun
By Antonella Artuso ,Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Two hydro distributors were denied an extension of their deadline to implement time-of-use (TOU) pricing after arguing it would push up the bills of small business customers. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB)

Hydro rates switch to winter pricing
Toronto Sun
By Antonella Artuso ,Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Hydro customers on time-of-use (TOU) pricing are switching over to winter electricity pricing as of Nov. 1. (Sun file photo) It’s time to change your electricity habits again. …

TOU Toolkit

Hydro Ottawa Empowers Customers Through the Addition of New Features to its Online Customer Service Portal
Hydro Ottawa News Release

Hydro Ottawa to warn consumers about over-use of power
Ottawa Citizen
By David Reevely November 4, 2011 1:07 PM OTTAWA — Electricity bills might be going up and up, but at least now Hydro Ottawa customers can get online warnings when their power use and bills are getting out of hand. The city-owned electricity utility …

EVs

http://www.autos.ca/general-news/volt-tops-with-owners-says-consumer-reports

Volt tops with owners, says Consumer Reports

Yonkers, New York – The Chevrolet Volt is now the top-scoring model in the annual owner satisfaction survey by Consumer Reports. The magazine found that 93 per cent of respondents who own a Volt said they would definitely buy it again.

Magna, GM collaborate on electric Equinox test fleet
Toronto Star
Magna International engineers are testing how well the popular Chevrolet Equinox crossover might perform if it were powered completely by an electric motor

GM fights to keep Volt halo
Financial Post
General Motors Co. is standing firmly behind its embattled plug-in electric vehicle, the Volt, saying it hopes to keep benefiting from the halo effect the vehicle is having on its Chevrolet brand despite a formal investigation launched last week into incidents of the car’s lithium-ion battery pack catching fire in crash testing.

Electronic vehicles charge ahead at Durham College
Durham Region News
WHITBY — Durham College Whitby is now home to one of seven electronic vehicle charging stations in Durham Region.

Hot Wheels
National Post
New cars are going greener for 2012, with the first full electric and extended-range electric vehicles making their debuts. They will join hybrids and diesel-powered models, not to mention cars powered by the good, old, gasolinefuelled internal-combustion engine

Electrifying feeling
Kingston Whig Standard
So Saturday, he held a public event tell people about his new electric car.

BC residents to get $5K off clean energy cars
CBC.ca
Low hydro costs Similar rebate programs on vehicles and charging stations are available in Quebec and Ontario, she said, adding both provinces offer only mail-in rebates for new clean energy vehicles. Blair Qualey, president of the New Car Dealers …

Capitalization

Manitoba Hydro Projects Are Being Reviewed, Planned, Licensed
Canada First Perspective
Manitoba Hydro, a publicly owned utility, is planning to spend $20 billion for new projects. The Manitoba government is proceeding with this expansion without an energy plan for the province. Several existing Manitoba Hydro projects require licensing

Ottawa puts up $6 million for smart grid project in Quebec
Montreal Gazette
By Lynn Moore, The Gazette November 1, 2011 5:08 PM Pierre-Luc Desgagné (left) of Hydro-Québec speaks with Koji Soga of Mitsubishi (centre) while standing with Jean Martel, mayor of Boucherville, in 2010 in front of an electric car. …

Safety

GM Chevy Volt Fiasco: Are Electric Cars Safe?
International Business Times
By Manikandan Raman | November 28, 2011 9:27 AM EST At a time when electric cars are beginning to steal the limelight from their gas-eating rivals, a new finding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over General Motors’

Copper wire stolen from Hydro One site
Peterborough Examiner
A break-in occurred early Monday morning at the Hydro One compound on Crawford Dr. when suspects cut a hole in a fence to enter the facility between 12:45 am and 1:40 am, police said.

BE SAFE: Toronto Hydro reminds the public to be aware of …
Hydro World
TORONTO, Nov. 28, 2011 /CNW/ – Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Toronto Hydro) is launching its annual “Be Safe” campaign to remind the public to stay

Copper thieves risking lives: Hydro One
Yorkregion.com
That’s the message from Hydro One staff and York Regional Police a week after thieves broke into two Newmarket Hydro sites within a matter of days, stealing metres of copper grounding wire attached to transformers. In the first incident, Nov.

Hybrids are safer for passengers, not for pedestrians
Toronto Star
Hybrid cars are good at protecting passengers, but can be a menace to pedestrians

A state-by-state look at effects of Oct. snowstorm
Wall Street Journal
More than 1.6 million people were still without power Tuesday, and at least 23 deaths, including one in Canada, are blamed on the storm through traffic accidents, electrocutions or other causes. About 678600 Connecticut electricity customers remained

Economy

Ontario feels $443 million pinch in global downturn
Toronto Star
Ontario is feeling a $443 million pinch this year as tax revenues take a hit from the global downturn, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said Wednesday in his fall economic statement.

Walkom: Deficit-burdened Ontario wisely does nothing
Toronto Star
In hockey, it’s called ragging the puck — holding fire on the big decisions until you can figure out what to

CAW wind turbine sparks Port Elgin protest
Toronto Star
Plans by the Canadian Auto Workers to erect a 76-metre wind turbine in their community have residents of Port Elgin threatening to greet construction crews with a picket line.

Wind

CAW turbine going ahead
Owen Sound Sun Times
The project was approved before the Green Energy Act was enacted, so the act’s 550-metre setback requirements don’t apply. Many Saugeen Shores residents remain opposed to the project, particularly those with property in nearby Gobles Grove. …

Norwell: Wind study sparks debate
Wicked Local
“My plan was to sell the electricity directly to the town at a fixed wholesale rate under Governor (Deval) Patrick’s Green Energy Act net metering rules,” he said. “Depending on the amount of wind energy and the size of the wind turbine, …

Green energy expert proposes alternative to CBE’s wind turbine plans
660 News
A research chair in wind power at the University of Calgary says the public school board would be better off establishing a series of smaller-scale wind turbines — rather than one large project — if its goal is to educate students about green energy. …

Wind device to remain in Bluffs despite public outcry
The Toronto Observer
Scarbrough-Agincourt councillor Norm Kelly voted to keep the anemometer in place until the contract with Toronto Hydro expires in the fall of next year. …

Small-scale wind turbines around the world
The Globe and Mail
The companies making up Canada’s “small wind” industry are popularizing a scaled down version of wind turbines

Canadian innovations in wind turbines
The Globe and Mail
Canadian companies have come up with a number of novel approaches in the design of wind turbines.

Utility Ownership

James: Fact and fiction in city finances
Toronto Star
This they peddle in order to support an about-face on the advisability of selling 10 per cent of Toronto Hydro. Toronto needs the money to service its bulging debt, they claim. The city is doomed, otherwise. The scenario is offered to paint over the …

Few questions for officials at COLLUS sale update meeting
Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin
COLLINGWOOD — The Town of Collingwood’s proposal to sell off up to 50% of the municipally-owned utility to a ’strategic partner’ seems to have been met with an overwhelming shrug by the community.

Toronto’s executive committee debates selling city owned assets
Global Toronto
TORONTO – The City’s Executive Committee is debating the sale of some city assets on Tuesday in the latest attempt by the Ford administration to balance the budget. Up for discussion are Enwave, Toronto Hydro, Toronto Parking Authority

Toronto committee approves Enwave, defers Toronto Hydro sale
CBC.ca
At a meeting on Tuesday the committee decided to approve a recommendation to sell the city’s stake in Enwave Energy Corporation, but defer another to sell off a percentage of Toronto Hydro. Before the meeting Mayor Rob Ford made it clear which way he

International

German ministry wants to cut new solar to 1 gigawatts a year
Reuters
The Economy Ministry paper will probably run into stiff opposition from the Environment Ministry, controlled by Merkel’s conservatives, which last year reformed the feed-in tariff system to cut incentives to 28.74 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) and is

Renewable industry slams flawed KPMG energy report
Your Renewable News (press release)
RenewableUK, the country’s largest renewable energy trade association, has strongly criticised the flawed energy report “Thinking About The Affordable” due to be published by the accountants KPMG on Tuesday. The report incorrectly claims that Britain …

Enel builds first smart grid in Italy
Reuters
MILAN (Reuters) – The distribution arm of Italy’s biggest utility, Enel, has started installing the first smart grid in Italy, part of its push to develop the technology needed to handle electricity flows from decentralized, fluctuating renewable power

Solar power boom hits a wall
The Globe and Mail
Three years ago, with much fanfare, Canadian upstart Arise Technologies Corp. opened the doors of a brand-new solar cell manufacturing plant in Bischofswerda, Germany.

Proposed Toronto Hydro sale delayed
The Globe and Mail
Plans to sell off a stake in Toronto Hydro will have to wait until the new year, with members of the mayor’s executive committee saying they need more information before they can back a proposed share issue for 10 per cent of the public utility.

Hydro wind measuring devices still all at sea
Toronto Sun
Toronto Hydro’s wind measuring efforts off the Scarborough Bluffs are going nowhere – for now. Councillors on the executive committee voted Tuesday to let hydro leave its more than $1 million anemometer – a fridge-size device that measures wind speed …

OPG and Trees Ontario to Distribute White Spruce Seed Kits at the Royal Winter Fair.
Ontario Power Generation News Release

Other

Police probe drug allegations in OPG firings
Toronto Star
Police are investigating allegations of “drug-related activity” by 11 fired employees of Ontario Power Generation

Hydro Ottawa and Carleton U ignite an electric partnership
MetroNews Canada
Carleton president Roseann Runte and Hydro Ottawa’s Pierre Richard with the company’s Chevrolet Volt Monday. Carleton University and Hydro Ottawa are teaming up to open a new lab devoted to emerging intelligent electricity infrastructure technology. …

Newmarket-Tay Power partners with Ameresco in energy reduction initiative
DigitalJournal.com (press release)
“We are excited to have this opportunity to work with Newmarket-Tay Power to help them achieve their energy reduction targets set by the Ontario Energy Board as well as working with their major customers to become more energy efficient,” said Ameresco …

SCM going green with hydrogen fuel cells in vehicles
The Cornwall Standard Freeholder
CORNWALL — A Walmart official held up the future of Cornwall’s distribution centre as an example of sustainability in the shipping sector.

Toronto buildings that take the LEED
The Globe and Mail
To the unknowing eye, they might appear like any other home, warehouse, office or building, but from concept and materials to water and energy, they are a different breed.

Toronto Hydro: Investing in the Next ‘Generation’
Marketwire (press release)
SAN DIEGO, CA–(Marketwire – Nov 6, 2011) – Business Review Canada takes a look at Toronto Hydro. The majority of Toronto’s energy infrastructure was developed in the 1950s and 60s and is due for an overhaul. Toronto Hydro’s capital expenditures in …

Solar power good FIT for brownfields?
Brantford Expositor
Kings said that he plans to seek council’s support to ask the city’s power utility to lobby the Ontario Energy Board for preferential rates if ground-mounted solar panels are installed on municipal brownfields. tossed around,” Mary Ellen Kaye, …

B.C. Tory leader wants bulb ban reversed
The National Post
The leader of B.C.’s Conservatives is coming to the defence of the incandescent light bulb, saying the province should reverse a law substituting harsh fluorescent light for the warm glow of a tungsten filament because the new bulbs cause problems for seniors and people with migraines.

Agreement Reached to Stop Construction of Mississauga Power Plant
OPA Release
Ontario Power Authority (OPA) announced today that it has reached an agreement with Greenfield South Power Corporation to stop construction at Greenfield’s power plant site in Mississauga. There will be no gas plant located on this site. The OPA and Greenfield will continue to discuss details, including an agreement on facility relocation.

Nuclear industry a ‘catalyst’ for the future, Oshawa business leaders told
Durham Region News
Canadian nuclear technology needs the support of local governments to flourish, an industry expert told business leaders recently.

Catch these GridSmartCity Partner headlines in this month’s GridWatch …

• Eaton Corporation and Coulomb Technologies Connect …
• S&C UPS protects NASA from outages …
• Elster Highlights Smart Grid System Interoperability …‎
• Oakville Hydro seeks new board members …
• Peak hydro pricing begins in Burlington …
• Not to worry, the bill will come …

Read more in this month’s GridWatch.

Good Decisions Require Good Information

(TORONTO) Dec. 5th, 2011 — Provincial ministries and agencies must do a better job of collecting meaningful and reliable information about their programs, Auditor General Jim McCarter said today on the release of
his 2011 Annual Report.

“Getting the right information to help ensure the best decisions are made is all the more important given the fiscal challenges Ontario currently faces,” McCarter said, noting that he flagged this problem in his eight previous Annual Reports. “In our audits this year, we found a number of instances where better information would help management improve program operations and guide long-term strategic planning.”

The following audits in the 2011 Annual Report are examples of the need for better information:

• Ontarians pay significantly more for auto insurance than any other Canadians due to high accident claim costs. However, the commission that oversees the auto insurance sector does not know
whether insurers are handling claims judiciously and paying out the proper amounts, and it needs better information on the impact of auto insurance fraud on claim costs.
• The Green Energy and Green Economy Act authorized the government to fast-track the development of wind and solar power projects without many of the usual planning, regulatory, and oversight processes. On a go-forward basis, it will be important that government decisionmakers are provided with information to assist them in striking the appropriate balance between promoting green energy and the higher electricity prices that households and business enterprises will be paying for such energy.
• Since 2002, consumers have paid a special debt retirement charge on their monthly electricity bill that was intended to pay off $7.8 billion in what is called the “residual stranded debt” of the old Ontario Hydro. Since then, consumers have paid $8 billion, but the Minister of Finance has never provided a public update on how much of the debt remains—even though the Electricity Act requires the Minister to do this “from time to time.”

Read more on the report and the media response in this month’s GridWatch.

Dalton McGuinty will run the government of Ontario with a smaller group of cabinet ministers

CBC – The Ontario premier released his list of cabinet appointments on Wednesday evening. There will be six fewer ministers in his new minority government – in fact the smallest cabinet in Ontario since 1998.

A government source said McGuinty had picked experienced people to lead the ministries. “It’s a strong, steady group that’s focused on jobs and economy growth,” the source said.

Brad Duguid moves from energy to economic development. Chris Bentley, who had been attorney general, take over Duguid’s former post.

Before this month’s election the Ontario Liberal cabinet had 28 members – including 11 women.

The new cabinet is reduced to 22 members, along with the premier.

Read more in this month’s GridWatch.

Facebook Energy Consumption Application

The new APP will allow Facebookers  to benchmark their home’s energy usage against a national average of similar homes, compare their energy use with friends, enter energy-saving competitions, and share tips on how to become more energy efficient. Meanwhile Google recently retired its PowerMeter tool, a free energy monitoring tool to raise awareness about the importance of giving people access to their energy information.

Read more in this month’s GridWatch.

Trillium Power Wind Corp alleges Ontario cancellation of offshore wind projects was driven purely political reasons, to counter wind-power

Globe and Mail — A company that planned to build a series of huge wind farms in Lake Ontario is suing the provincial government for $2.25-billion, claiming it unfairly cancelled all offshore wind projects earlier this year.

Trillium Power Wind Corp. spent millions of dollars over many years planning its projects, and had dutifully followed the government’s application processes, the suit claims, but the rug was pulled from under its feet when the province said it would not consider any offshore development until more scientific studies were done.

Read more in this month’s GridWatch.