Amended: January 2011, August 2023, February 2024 and October 2025

Introduction

This guide is intended to help proponents of electricity projects, consultants, Indigenous communities, the public and other interested parties. This guide outlines the environmental assessment requirements for electricity projects that are designated as a part II.3 project in Regulation 50/24 - Part II.3 Projects - Designations and Exemption (referred to as the Comprehensive EA Projects Regulation or regulation), made under the Environmental Assessment Act. This guide also consists of the environmental screening process for electricity projects.

The Guide to Environmental Assessment Requirements for Electricity Projects (the guide) was developed in 2001 to help guide proponents (part A) and to set out the process that must be followed by proponents seeking to rely on the conditional exemptions set out in the (now revoked) O. Reg. 116/01 (Electricity Projects) (part B).

This guide consists of 2 parts:

  • Part A of the guide is intended to help proponents of electricity projects, consultants, Indigenous communities, the public and other interested parties understand environmental assessment (EA) requirements for electricity projects that are designated as part II.3 projects in the regulation. It also provides some overview information about the environmental screening process which is found in part B of this guide.
  • Part B of the guide outlines the environmental screening process for electricity projects. As set out in the regulation, certain electricity projects are designated as part II.3 projects and subject to part II.3 of the EAA, but are exempt from part II.3 on the condition that the project is carried out in accordance with the environmental screening process, outlined in part B of this guide. The projects eligible for this exemption are listed in sections 9 and 10 of the regulation. For a project to be exempt, the requirements of the environmental screening process must be met.

Updates:

  • In August 2023, the ministry updated the guide to reflect amendments to the (now revoked) O. Reg. 116/01 (Electricity Projects).
  • In February 2024, the ministry updated the guide to reflect the implementation of Part II.3 of the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA), O. Reg. 50/24 (Part II.3 Projects – Designations and Exemptions) and related regulations.

Guide users should check online or contact the Environmental Assessment Branch (EAB or branch) to find out if there have been any revisions to this guide.

Any suggestions for revision or clarification are welcomed and should be sent to the Director of the Environmental Assessment Branch at the following address:

Environmental Assessment Branch
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
135 St. Clair Avenue West,        
Toronto, ON M4V 1L5

Tel: 416-314-8001         
Toll-free: 1-800-461-6290         
Fax: 416-314-8452

E-mail: EABdirector@ontario.ca        
Website: Environmental assessments

Glossary of terms

The EAA and the regulation under that act contain definitions of relevant terms. The following are additional definitions of terms and explanations of short forms used in this guide.

Class environmental assessment
A document that sets out a standardized planning process for those classes of projects that proponents subject to the class EA must comply with before being authorized under the EAA to proceed with a project that is part of the class. Projects that are within a class in a class EA do not require approval under part II.3 of the EAA. The projects can proceed subject to complying with the applicable class EA and provided no order is made by the minister under s.16 declaring that the project is a part II.3 project and thereby requiring the proponent to apply for approval under part II.3 to be able to proceed with the project.
Cogeneration
Cogeneration produces both electricity and heat from a single process. Heat that would normally be lost from the combustion of fuel is recovered and is then used in heating buildings or related industrial processes.
Comprehensive EA
A term used to describe an environmental assessment prepared and submitted when seeking approval under part II.3 of the EAA.
Comprehensive EA Projects Regulation
Ontario Regulation 50/24 under the EAA entitled part II.3 Projects — Designations and Exemptions.
Director
Director of the Environmental Assessment Branch, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
EA
Environmental assessment.
Environmental Assessment Branch
Environmental Assessment Branch (EAB or branch), Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Electricity facility
A generation facility or transmission facility (transmission line or transmission station) that is of a type described in sections 7 or 9 of the Comprehensive EA Projects Regulation.
Elevation
During the mandatory review period for reports prepared under the environmental screening process, Indigenous communities, members of the public or agencies with outstanding environmental concerns may make a written request to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to elevate a project. A project at the screening stage, or a project for which an addendum was prepared, can be elevated to either an environmental review within the environmental screening process, or to a comprehensive EA. A project at the environmental review stage can be elevated to a comprehensive EA.
Environment
Has the same meaning as in the EAA.
Environmental assessment
When used in relation to a proposed project, means an environmental assessment submitted under part II.3 of the EAA.
Environmental Assessment Act (EAA)
The Environmental Assessment Act (EAA) provides for the protection, conservation and wise management of the environment in Ontario by providing an accountable, logical and reproducible process of decision making. The EAA lays out a planning process and encourages environmental protection within the context of a broadly defined environment.
Environmental Assessment Coordinator
Environmental Resource Planner and Environmental Assessment Coordinator located in the Environmental Assessment Branch of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Environmental screening process
The environmental screening process means part B of this guide, as amended from time to time. Part II.3 projects designated in sections 9 and 10 of the Comprehensive EA Projects Regulation are exempt from part II.3 of the EAA provided that they are carried out in accordance with the environmental screening process.
Fuel cells
Electrochemical devices which combine a hydrogen-based fuel and oxygen to directly generate electricity (without combustion). Fuel cells can use natural gas, landfill gas or propane as initial fuel (or hydrogen directly in specialized applications).
Kilovolt (kV)
One thousand volts (see volt). Used to describe high voltage electrical conductors, as in 115 kV.
Megawatt (MW)
One million watts (see Watt). Megawatt is the unit used to describe the size/capacity of generation facilities to produce electrical energy. One MW of generation can produce enough electrical energy to supply the power needs of about 500 homes for a year.
Minister
Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Ministry
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Minor modification
A change that is not a significant modification as set out in the Comprehensive EA Projects Regulation. For example, section 6 of the Comprehensive EA Projects Regulation provides that a change that increases the capacity of a natural gas-fired generating station by 5 MW or more is a significant modification. Therefore, a modification that increases the capacity of a natural gas-fired generating station by less than 5 MW, or that does not increase capacity, would be considered a minor modification.
MECP
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Negative environmental effects
Negative environmental effects include the negative effects that a project has, or could potentially have, directly or indirectly on the environment at any stage in the project life cycle. Negative environmental effects may include, but are not limited to:
  • the harmful alteration, disruption, destruction, or loss of:
    • natural features
    • flora or fauna and their habitat
    • ecological functions
    • natural resources
    • air or water quality
    • cultural or heritage resources
  • the displacement, impairment, conflict or interference with:
    • existing land uses
    • approved land use plans
    • businesses or economic enterprises
    • recreational uses or activities
    • cultural pursuits
    • social conditions
    • economic structure
Net effects
Negative environmental effects of a project and related activities that will remain after mitigation and impact management measures have been applied.
Proponent
Has the same meaning as in the EAA.
Solar cells
Solar cells are solid-state semiconductor devices with no moving parts that convert light directly into electricity (also known as photovoltaic cells).
Volt (V)
A measure of electrical potential difference between two points in an electric field. A volt is a unit of electrical pressure (analogous to the pressure in a garden hose) which causes an electric current to flow through a wire.
Waterpower facility
A generation facility that uses waterpower as its primary power source.
Watt (W)
A standard unit used to measure amounts of electrical power. One horsepower is equivalent to approximately 746 watts.