OFA submitted comments to the Ministry of Energy on proposed legislative amendments meant to support Ontario’s Integrated Energy Plan. Our feedback highlighted the importance of protecting prime agricultural areas, while also allowing farm operations to participate in agriculturally integrated energy production opportunities. OFA also recommended the government encourage utilities and energy regulators to address regional system constraints by researching how to incorporate expiring feed-in-tariff assets into transmission and distribution grids.
OFA recommends that the Ministry support agriculturally integrated on-farm energy projects for long-term procurements should be eligible to participate in the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), allowing them to compete equally with non-agricultural projects.
OFA also urges the Ministry, IESO, and utilities to explore options to renew, reprice, or enable third-party power purchase agreements for expiring FIT contracts, ensuring continued use of existing renewable energy assets and grid connections.