About Canadian Renewable…

About Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

CanREA is the leading national industry association advocating for wind energy, solar energy, energy storage and behind-the-meter solar & storage solutions in support of a reliable, affordable, and non-emitting electricity system.

CanREA's network of about 350 companies represent all parts of the value chain to develop and operate wind, solar and energy storage technologies across Canada.

General Comments

CanREA acknowledges the government’s statement that “the [current] process to obtain a permit is slow and complex, causing unnecessary delays and costs for housing, transit, and critical infrastructure, without resulting in significant gains for species.”

CanREA recognizes and is generally supportive of the government’s objectives to:

• Drive species protection and conservation while taking into account social and economic considerations, including the need for sustainable economic growth in Ontario.
• Help speed up project timelines and provide greater certainty for proponents, while protecting species.
• Reduce regulatory hurdles, facilitating faster approvals for development projects.
• Provide a reasonable, balanced approach to protecting species in Ontario.
• Establish a framework for setting clear expectations and rules for proponents to follow, ones that are focused on those activities that are most likely to have a direct negative impact on species.
• Follow a simplified, streamlined process.
• Establish a new Species Conservation Program to support voluntary initiatives like habitat restoration that protect and conserve species.
• Consider updated methods for species protection that align with current scientific understanding and technological advancements, aiming for more effective conservation strategies.

CanREA acknowledges and is generally supportive of the government’s statement: “Now more than ever, it is vital that we take a new approach that supports economic development and communities, while maintaining core species and habitat protections.”

CanREA is generally supportive of environmental regulatory certainty for streamlined, cost-effective development and operation of non-emitting electricity resources such as wind, solar and energy storage. Together with our Indigenous and community partners, our industry benefits from clear and balanced processes, timelines and expectations for everyone involved.

CanREA notes that the government has confirmed in the proposal details that it will develop these regulations in consultation with the public and Indigenous communities over the next several months, and that, as new regulations are developed, they will be posted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario for sector review and comment.

CanREA strongly recommends that government allow sufficient time for our industry to review and comment on any potential draft regulations or policies before implementation to ensure meaningful sector and site-specific data collection and analysis, and to ensure that there are no unintended consequences to energy production from currently operating and future wind, solar and energy storage facilities.