Renewable energy on Crown land

Renewable energy developments on Crown land need to be consistent with provincial energy plans, programs and goals.

You may also be granted access to Crown land for a renewable energy project if it supports:

  • provincial economic development priorities
  • off-grid Aboriginal community use
  • small-scale use for local resource management

In early 2014, the ministry approved new policy that covers renewable energy projects on Crown land. It provides direction on where and how the ministry grants access for these projects.

Renewable energy on Crown land policy

How to propose a grid-connected renewable energy project

The ministry's Crown land site access process is aligned with the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) energy procurement programs. The IESO’s procurement process determines which projects will be offered a contract to sell electricity onto the transmission grid.

What this means is that you must obtain an energy procurement contract from the IESO before you can obtain site access from the ministry for a proposed renewable energy project on Crown land.

Fees and approvals

If your renewable energy project is granted access to Crown land, this does not guarantee regulatory approvals.

It also does not guarantee tenure (the legal agreement between the ministry and occupant spelling out the terms and conditions of occupancy on Crown land).

You need to be familiar with the regulatory, approval, permitting and survey requirements (and applicable fees/rent) associated with your application, authorization and tenure.

For details, read the following:

How to find existing application sites

The listings below provide information about existing renewable energy applications. They have either been granted access to Crown land, have an energy procurement contract, or both. These sites are therefore not available to new Crown land applicants.

Water power sites

Wind power sites

Grid cells not available to new Crown land applicants