They are not as big as solar farms but there are at least a dozen smaller alternative energy projects that now have the go-ahead from the province as part of its new Green Energy Act.
The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) announced 510 “green energy” projects approved for contracts under the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program. While confirmation of grocery-chain giant Loblaw’s participation through 136 of its Ontario outlets receives most of the attention, there are at least 12 smaller projects involving either roof-top solar panel setups in local towns or creation of biogas generators on farms in the Glengarry-Prescott-Russell region that will generate combined total of more than 2600 kilowatt-hours of electricity for either local use or sales to the provincial power grid.
The FIT program aims at encouraging development of small- and large-scale green energy projects using solar, wind, biogas, or other types of alternative power systems. The focus is on homeowners, schools and other institutions, farms, large and small commercial buildings suitable for flat-roof solar panels, and industrial sites where applicable. The program offers long-term, stable price rates for the electricity from those alternate energy sources.
In Glengarry-Prescott-Russell there are five rooftop solar projects approved under FIT with three in Hawkesbury at École élémentaire Nouvel Horizon, École secondaire publique Le Sommet, and at the Laurin Your Independent Grocer building at Cameron Street and County Road 17. L’Académie de la Seigneurie in Casselman is the site for a rooftop solar project.
Terryland Farms in St-Eugène has both a solar power project and a biogas energy project approved under the FIT program. The remaining six FIT-approved biogas projects are for Ferme 3V and Skotidakis Farm in St-Eugène, Carleton Corners Farm Ltd. in Marionville, La Ferme Lanidrac in Ste-Anne-de-Prescott, Machabeen Animal Food Ltd. in St-Albert, and in Curran for Petrocorn Inc.