Comment Period: 47 days: submissions may be made between August 18, 2010 and October 04, 2010.

The Green Energy Act placed a priority on expanding Ontario’s use of clean and renewable sources of energy. Developing these renewable resources is a cornerstone of Ontario’s future prosperity and the government’s plan to combat climate change and phase out coal. In support of the Green Energy Act, the government is undertaking additional regulatory and policy work to provide further clarity and certainty to renewable energy proponents and the public on where renewable energy projects can be located and what technical requirements need to be fulfilled to ensure the protection of the environment and ecological sustainability.

On June 25 2010, the Ministry of the Environment(MOE) posted a policy proposal on the Environmental Registry that outlined a proposed approach for Renewable Energy Approval requirements for offshore wind facilities (Environmental Registry posting #011-0089). This policy proposal outlined considerations for regulatory amendments to the Renewable Energy Approval (O. Reg. 359/09) to provide clear, up-front provincial rules for offshore windpower facilities, including a proposal for a five kilometre shoreline exclusion zone for offshore turbines, measured from the water’s edge of the Great Lakes, other inland lakes (e.g. Lake St. Clair), and the major islands.

This MOE posting also identified that the Ministry of Natural Resources was undertaking a phased review of Ontario’s current process for making Crown land available for renewable energy projects. This review will include consideration of where, when and how the Government makes Crown land available for offshore wind projects, and may result in additional areas being constrained from offshore wind development.

View full policy proposal notice via Environmental Registry.