There will likely be more solar and wind farms built in rural communities because the province is once again open to proposals.
But this time it says the developers will need to gain an invitation from local municipalities or Indigenous communities.
The province expects electricity demand might double over the next 30 years and has also announced development of additional nuclear power facilities.
The return to renewable energy projects appears in the government’s Powering Ontario plan, released on Monday, which says that the province will look to another round of electricity generation procurement in 2025-26 that will include “non-emitting energy technologies such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biogas.”
The Progressive Conservative government cancelled hundreds of wind and solar energy contracts when it was first elected in 2018 and then spent more than $200 million fighting court challenges.
Since then, environmentalists and opposition politicians have painted the government as anti-green power, noting that as the province’s nuclear reactors go offline for phased, multibillion-dollar refurbishments, Ontario will increasingly rely on polluting gas plants for electricity.
