Ontario Environment and Climate Change Minister Chris Ballard announced the establishment of the $377 million Green Ontario Fund, also to be known as GreenON, August 30.
The Green Ontario Fund is a not-for-profit provincial agency created to invest proceeds from Ontario’s cap and trade program into climate actions that assist residents and businesses reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use cleaner technology to power their homes and workplaces.
The Green Ontario Fund was created via regulation under the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016, and is known in regulation as the Ontario Climate Change Solutions Deployment Corporation.
The announcement included the new GreenON Installations program, which opened early registration on its newly launched website – www.greenon.ca . Interested and eligible households can register to have a Green Ontario Fund-trained technician visit and install a smart thermostat at no cost. The technician will also provide advice and tips as well as personalized suggestions for additional energy-saving upgrades.
More GreenON programs for residents, businesses and industry will be announced in the coming months.
Over the next three years, the Green Ontario Fund is to deliver programs and services outlined in Ontario's Climate Change Action Plan, including:
• Up to $1.2 billion to help businesses and industries adopt low-carbon technologies
• Up to $1.2 billion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in buildings
In addition, on August 29 the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science announced the creation of the $25.8 million Low Carbon Innovation Fund (LCIF), to support emerging, innovative technologies in areas such as alternative energy generation and conservation, new biofuels or bioproducts, next-generation transportation or novel carbon capture and usage technologies. This Fund is part of the Ontario Climate Change Action Plan, and as such will be funded by revenue from Ontario’s cap and trade program.
Successful technologies will need to show significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario.
The types of projects we will consider include:
• first time application of a GHG reduction technology that addresses a specific need
• the use of a proven technology application that has been successful in a different sector/industry, but is unproven in the proposed application
• projects demonstrating a significant improvement or enhancement to an existing GHG reduction technology solution.
• technology validation (e.g. proof-of-concept and prototype development). This stream is expected to begin accepting proposals in Fall 2017.
The 2017–18 fund has two funding streams:
The Technology Validation stream will fund proof of concept or prototype projects from eligible Ontario companies or academic organizations. Further details are expected to be announced in Fall 2017.
The Technology Demonstration stream will give up to 50%, or a maximum of $2 million, to support the development and commercialization of innovative low carbon technologies in a real world demonstration project. Expressions of interest are due September 22, 2017.