The Community Energy Partnerships Program (CEPP) announced April 19 that its first supported project is connected to the grid and generating electricity.
Supported by $50,000 in grants from the CEPP, the 250 kW solar installation is mounted on the roofs of two chicken barns owned by Donna and Harold Feddema near Grimsby in southern Ontario. The project, named FedSol, is providing a second revenue stream for their farm that is guaranteed for 20 years with a contract through the Feed-In-Tariff Program.
The Feddemas credit the CEPP with making it possible to get started. According to Donna, the “CEPP was very helpful to us. It gave us some breathing room to make good decisions about the project without risking everything.” With that in hand, the Feddemas were able to secure a bank loan for equipment and other costs. They plan on hosting an open house in the fall to celebrate the commissioning with the local farm community.
The Ontario Power Authority established the program, after a direction from the Ontario Minister of Energy and Infrastructure in the fall of 2009, to facilitate the participation of Ontario communities in the development of renewable energy generation facilities, in particular to assist communities in paying for some of the soft costs associated with the development of renewable energy projects.
On November 26, 2010, the Ontario Minister of Energy directed the OPA to allow corporate co-operatives to apply for CEPP Project grants for projects over 10 MW. Maximum funding for these projects is $500,000. The Minister’s directive also made available $500,000 in annual funding for new educational projects delivered by co-ops, not-for-profit and charitable organizations.
The CEPP is managed by the Community Power Fund. Its directing body is a Review Committee, which consists of seven members and a Fairness Monitor. Review Committee members are leaders in their field with expertise in the renewable energy market, finance, project development, and senior management. Three members are appointed by the CP Fund, three by Deloitte, and the Chair is appointed by the OPA.
The Fairness Monitor observes the meetings of the Review Committee, is privy to the same information as Committee members, and ensures that a fair process is followed for all decisions. It also sees that evaluation criteria are adhered to, and that applications are reviewed and evaluated in a reasonable time.