1. Ontario Jennifer Keyes/Kevin Edwards OMNR GLWC Offshore Wind Workgroup
Advancing Regional Collaboration Webinar
September 24, 2009

2. Ontario’s Interest in Offshore Wind Development
Ontario supports offshore wind development and it is a technology supported under Ontario’s recently passed Green Energy Act
OMNR’s Windpower Site Release Policy makes the beds of the Great Lakes available for Wind development
The province’s proposed FIT Program will incent offshore wind at $.19/Kwh
The Ontario Wind Resources Atlas includes data layers related to offshore -
The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) completed a study – Analysis of Future Offshore Wind Development in Ontario which identified 60+ offshore sites -
What interest does your jurisdiction have in offshore wind development in the Great Lakes? If there is no interest, have specific reasons been cited regarding why? If yes, has your jurisdiction offered a public justification for developing offshore wind energy, and if so what is it? Please provide a list of any public documents offered by your jurisdiction to explain its interest in offshore wind energy.

3. Identified Ontario Offshore Resources

4. Current or Proposed Offshore Projects
The beds of all lakes and rivers in Ontario are Crown (Public) land – 87% of land mass and MNR currently has 70+ applications for offshore wind development sites
Trillium Power Corp. has proposed a 700 MW wind farm for the Duck Island area of Lake Ontario
Toronto Hydro has proposed a 50+ MW wind farm for just offshore of the City and has recently completed their EA to proceed with a testing platform
Southpoint Wind has initiated their EA for a proposed 30 MW in Lake Erie near Leamington
In the jurisdiction are any current or proposed offshore projects in development? If so, at what stage is the project? What is the size and location (if this information is or can be made public)?

5. Inter-Jurisdictional Collaboration
OMNR is a founding member of the GLWC
Under the auspices of the GLWC OMNR is working with Great lakes Border states and the province of Quebec to share best practice, guidance and policy
OMNR is also working collaboratively with other Canadian provinces and the Canadian federal government
Is your jurisdiction collaborating with other organizations vis-à-vis offshore wind development? If so, list and please provide a description of the collaboration.

6. Regulations/Policies/Laws Affecting Offshore Wind Development and Agency Responsible with Oversight
Under OMNR’s Site Release Policy proponents can apply for offshore sites for proposed wind farms
Leases are granted for sites under the Ontario Public Lands Act and through associated regulations
Ontario is proposing a streamlined approach to permitting and approvals based on clear, up-front, and integrated requirements for Provincial Ministry approvals and permits, including:
A Renewable Energy Approval regulation established by the Ministry of Environment (see and
Approval and Permitting Requirements established by the OMNR (see
The proposed process is intended to streamline approvals while continuing to ensure the protection of public health and safety and the natural environment
Has the jurisdiction developed regulations/policies/laws governing the siting, submerged land lease process and other relevant items regarding development of offshore wind energy? If so, what form are they in (guidance, regulation, law, etc.) and what agencies are responsible for administering them? If not, are policies in the process of being developed? What agencies will be responsible for managing them?

7. Transmission of Offshore Wind Energy
Under Ontario’s proposed Feed-in Tariff Program proposed generation projects will be identified & prioritized
Once critical generating mass is identified in an area then the Ontario Power Authority will plan for the necessary transmission enhancement or development and seek necessary approvals
Has the jurisdiction developed a specific plan, or is the process of developing a plan, for connecting and integrating offshore wind to land-based transmission systems?

8. Public Outreach
The proposed new approval process enabled under the Green Energy and Green Economy Act is currently being developed – part of this was a public comment period on requirements where the province received comments
Part of the proposed requirements of the Renewable Energy Approval (REA) regulation would require an applicant to hold at least two public meetings and address concerns raised in these meetings
The decision on issuing an REA could also be appealed to the province’s Environmental Review Tribunal
As part of the new approval process Ontario will also continue to meet its constitutional responsibility to notify and enter into consultation with Aboriginal communities
Has the jurisdiction conducted public outreach activities, or is planning to do so, regarding offshore wind? Does the jurisdiction require developers to conduct independent public outreach or is that done by the regulatory entity as part of its review process?

9. Public Trust Outreach and Education
Investment in science and research - including the proposal to establish an independent Research Chair, and setbacks and standards related to noise and the natural environment
Adaptive management - including proposed provisions under the new approval process that enable the government to establish mitigation and monitoring requirements
How will the jurisdiction’s fulfill its public trust responsibilities (review standards, procedures, public input, etc.)?

10. Obstacles to Offshore Wind Development
Public concern has been expressed with regard to proposed offshore projects with regard to environmental and view scape issues
Offshore projects face technical challenges as well (e.g. transmission, construction infrastructure)
Has the jurisdiction encountered difficulties in its development of an offshore wind program? What form did they take (organized opposition, legal obstacles, etc.)?

11. Regional Collaboration
Fisheries Guidance
Bird and Bat Guidance
Policy Development
Project Siting
Public Engagement
Ice Research
What offshore wind issues, tasks or processes does your agency identify as appropriate for regional collaboration?

12. Other Issues or Observations?
It is unclear what impact planned financial and other policy incentives will have on demand for offshore wind sites
Opportunity for policy alignment within the GLB to support a bio-region based approach
Opportunity to share costs of gaining required ecological data