On June 15 Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources posted its draft Renewable Energy on Crown Land Policy to the Environmental Registry for public comment. If adopted, the policy will update existing provincial policy in the area.
The Ministry says its draft policy has been developed "to provide updated direction on how the government will manage Crown land to support Ontario’s renewable energy needs while balancing the social, economic, and ecological interests of the Province." The proposals are intended to establish strategic policy direction for Crown land management to support water power, onshore wind power, and solar power development.
Some excerpts:
6.1 Make Crown land available for renewable energy development in a manner that supports government priorities, including Ontario’s long term energy plans and programs.
6.1.1 Crown land will be made available for renewable energy development where:
a. generation is enabled by available transmission or distribution capacity, and
b. it supports provincial power system or other supply plans including the type(s), amount(s), and/or location of renewable energy supply required to support provincial needs, or
c. it supports provincial priorities (e.g., Ring of Fire, Growth Plan for Northern Ontario).
...
6.1.4 When Crown land is made available for water power, the range of water power development types will include:
a. peaking facilities to run of river facilities,
b. greenfield development, retrofit of water control structures and redevelopment of water power facilities, and
c. pumped storage generation, where it supports provincial energy plans or specific economic and development projects.
...
Under "other provincial priorities,"
... 6.2.3 Crown land will not be made available for renewable energy development:
a. within an area regulated or recommended as a provincial park or conservation reserve, where the project would not qualify as an exception under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act,
b. for greenfield waterpower development on naturally reproducing lake trout lakes, or
c. where existing tenure under the Public Lands Act or the Mining Act would prohibit development.
...
6.3 Provide a clear process to making Crown land available for renewable energy development.
6.3.1 Crown land application processes will provide a stable investment environment by providing clear direction on where, when and how applications will be received and considered.
...
6.4 Encourage Aboriginal community economic benefits from renewable energy development on Crown land.
6.4.1 Water, wind and solar power applications within the Far North will only be accepted from local Aboriginal communities and/or their partners.
For details, go to http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/ and search registry # 011-6005.