Approvals and Permitting Requirements Document (APRD)
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Approvals and Permitting Requirements Document
BCA
Building Code Act, 1992
Bioenergy
Energy produced from living or recently living plants or animal sources. Sources for bioenergy generation can include agricultural residues, food-process by-products, animal manure, waste wood and kitchen waste.
Canada Land Inventory (CLI)
The detailed assessment of a project’s impact to the grid, conducted by the relevant distributor.
DAT
Distribution Availability Test
EA
Environmental Assessment
EBR
Environmental Bill of Rights
Environmental Registry
The Environmental Registry contains public notices about environmental matters being proposed by all government ministries covered by the Environmental Bill of Rights. The public notices may contain information about proposed new laws, regulations, policies and programs, or about proposals to change or eliminate existing ones.
EPA
Environmental Protection Act, 1990
ERT
Environmental Review Tribunal
ESA
Electrical Safety Authority
ESA
Endangered Species Act, 2007
Event of Default
The occurrence of an event or circumstance, including bankruptcy or failure to meet certain contractual FIT program requirements, which may cause a party to seek protection.
Force Majeure
Force majeure, generally, means any act, event, cause or condition encountered by a developer that is beyond its reasonable control (not caused by the fault or negligence of the developer), that prevents the developer from performing its obligations under a contract, and that could not have been reasonably anticipated at the time the contract was signed.
Feed-In Tariff
A guaranteed rate that provides stable prices through long-term contracts for energy generated using renewable resources.
FIT Program
Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff or FIT program facilitates the increased development of renewable energy generating facilities of varying sizes, technologies and configurations via a standardized, open and fair process. The FIT program is open to projects with a rated electricity generating capacity greater than 10 kW and generally up to 500 kW.
GEA
Green Energy Act, 2009
GEGEA
Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009
Greenbelt Plan
The Greenbelt Plan was established under Section 3 of the Greenbelt Act, 2005 to provide permanent protection to the agricultural land base and the ecological features and functions occurring on this landscape.
Grid
The provincial transmission grid is a network of power stations, transmission circuits and substations.
IESO
Independent Electrical System Operator
INAC
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
Key Development Milestones
Milestones that must be evidenced as complete to the IESO before construction on Large Renewable Procurement (LRP) projects may begin. Includes appropriate connection agreements, necessary environmental approvals and evidence that sufficient financing has been secured.
Kilowatt (kW)
A standard unit of power that is equal to 1,000 watts (W). One hundred 10 W light bulbs operated together require one kW of power.
Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
A measure of energy production or consumption over time. Ten 100-watt light bulbs, operated together for one hour, consume one kWh of energy.
Large Renewable Procurement (LRP)
A competitive procurement program for renewable energy projects generally greater than 500 kW. The LRP includes an initial Request for Qualifications (RFQ) followed by a Request for Proposals (RFP).
Load
A consumer of electricity.
Local Distribution Company (LDC)
A utility that owns and/or operates a distribution system for the local delivery of energy (gas or electricity) to consumers (e.g., ChathamKent Hydro, Toronto Hydro or Cornwall Electric).
Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP)
Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan, released in November 2013.
Megawatt (MW)
A unit of power equal to 1,000 kW or one million W.
microFIT Program
The microFIT Program was launched in 2009 to provide homeowners and other eligible participants the opportunity to develop a small or "micro" renewable electricity generation project (10 kW or less in size) on their property. Under this program, contract holders are paid a guaranteed price over a 20-year term (40 years for waterpower projects) for the electricity they produce and deliver to the province’s electricity grid.
Milestone Commercial Operation Date (MCOD)
In relation to FIT contracts, the MCOD is the deadline for the renewable project to achieve Commercial Operation. This deadline occurs three years following the contract date for solar PV, bioenergy and wind (on-shore) facilities; four years for wind (off-shore) facilities; and five years for waterpower facilities.
MNRF
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
MOECC
Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
MPAC
Municipal Property Assessment Corporation
MTCS
Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
MTO
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Municipal Consultation Form
A formal way for municipalities to ensure that municipal needs are taken into account by the project developer under the REA process. The Municipal Consultation Form should be submitted as part of the REA application submission to the MOECC.
NEC
Niagara Escarpment Commission
Niagara Escarpment Plan
The Niagara Escarpment Plan serves as a framework of objectives and policies to strike a balance between development, preservation and the enjoyment of the Niagara Escarpment.
NMA
Nutrient Management Act, 2002
OEB
Ontario Energy Board
OFA
Ontario Financing Authority
OHA
Ontario Heritage Act, 1990
OMAFRA
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
OWA
Ontario Waterpower Association
Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan
The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan is an ecologically based plan established by the Ontario government to provide land use and resource management direction for the land and water within the moraine.
Photovoltaic (PV)
A technology for converting solar energy into electrical energy, typically by way of photovoltaic cells or panels comprising a number of cells.
Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
A contract between two parties, one who generates electricity (the seller) and one who is looking to purchase electricity (the buyer).
Price Adder
The incentive offered to Aboriginal and Community-owned projects under the FIT program because these projects face barriers and higher project costs not encountered by commercial developers.
Project Community
A Project Community is any Local Municipality in whose boundaries the Large Renewable Project or proposed connection line is to be located (in whole or in part). A Project Community also includes any First Nation Community on whose First Nation Lands the Large Renewable Project or the proposed transmission/distribution line is to be located (in whole or in part). If a project, or the proposed transmission/distribution line, is to be located (in whole or in part) on one of more properties that include a Local Municipality and a First Nation Community, then both are considered Project Communities.
Project Description Report (PDR)
A component of the REA application submission that will be circulated to municipalities for review and comment.
Provincial Policy Statement (PPS)
The Provincial Policy Statement (2014) is the statement of the government’s policies on land use planning that applies province-wide.
REA
The Renewable Energy Approval issued under Ontario Regulation 359/09.
REFO
Renewable Energy Facilitation Office
Renewable Energy
In this context, referring specifically to technologies including solar photovoltaic (PV), on-shore wind, waterpower and bio-energy (biogas, including landfill gas, and biomass).
Smart Grid
A Smart Grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using modern information and communications technologies to improve the reliability and efficiency of the electricity system. It empowers consumers with the ability to manage their energy consumption - saving energy, reducing costs and providing choices.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Energy
Solar energy is a renewable resource that is free, environmentally friendly and readily available. Solar energy can be used in many ways to provide heat, lighting, mechanical power and electricity.
Specialty Crop Areas
Areas designated using guidelines developed by the province, as amended from time to time. In these areas, specialty crops are predominantly grown, such as tender fruits (peaches, cherries, plums), grapes, other fruit crops, vegetable crops, greenhouse crops, and crops from agriculturally developed organic soil, usually resulting from:
  • a) soils that have suitability to produce specialty crops, or lands that are subject to special climatic conditions, or a combination of both
  • b) farmers skilled in the production of specialty crops
  • c) a long-term investment of capital in areas such as crops, drainage, infrastructure and related facilities and services to produce, store, or process specialty crops (mandatory assessment that a connection developer requests the IESO to conduct in order to assess the impact of the connection proposal on the reliability of the integrated power system. For transmission connected projects over 10 MW in size.
TAT
Transmission Availability Test
Timestamp
The date and time a FIT application was received.
Unconstructed Rooftop Solar Pilot (URSP)
A FIT pilot project to procure the installation rooftop solar projects on Unconstructed Buildings. It was incorporated into the FIT 3 program and given a procurement target of 15 MW.