Insight and Future Trends Resulting from Ontario’s FIT Review
by Justin Malecki, PhD Analyst It has been over a week since the conclusion of Ontario’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program review and many of those involved in the development of renewable energy are left with more questions than answers. To help provide direction and clarity, ClearSky Advisors has discerned several clear trends that are likely to emerge assuming that most of the recommendations are followed. In this article, we highlight some of... [Read More...]
Ontario FIT Review Recommendations Announced
By Justin Malecki, PhD, Analyst After much anticipation and no little impatience on the part of those involved in Ontario’s renewable energy industry, the Ministry of Energy has announced the results of their 5-month review of the province’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program. In this article, we summarize the most significant recommendations and changes as well as highlighting those elements which will remain the same. Summary of Key Recommendations We... [Read More...]
A Turning Point for New Jersey’s Solar Industry
by Justin Malecki, PhD, Analyst Next to California, New Jersey has the most active PV market in the US. Generous rebate programs in the past and aggressive policy goals combined with some of the highest electricity prices in the US have given rise to a thriving marketplace for commercial and industrial PV installations. However, this rapid growth has caused the state to recently overshoot its solar energy generation goals as mandated in New Jersey’s... [Read More...]
What The Flux?!
A Year Of Change in Ontario’s PV Marketplace With More Change To Come Justin Malecki, PhD, Research Analyst Stability, predictability, and transparency. These are three items on the Christmas wishlists of almost everyone involved in the solar photovoltaic market in Ontario. After a year that has been characterized by the incongruent combination of rapidly changing global market conditions, government policy attempting to adapt, and the uncertainty... [Read More...]
New Rules for Old Contract Applications
The OPA Announces FIT Review as PV Installation Costs Continue to Fall On October 31, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) formally announced the commencement of what many in the Ontario renewable energy industry already knew was coming: a comprehensive review of the rules and rates governing the province’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program. Although no date was set for when the results of the review will be announced, the OPA indicated that the new... [Read More...]
Did Hudak’s Green Energy Policy Cost him the Ontario Election?
Let us begin by making one thing clear: ClearSky Advisors does not engage in politics out of principle - our job is to research and report on facts as objectively as possible, preferably as they pertain to sustainable energy. The purpose of this article is not to pass judgment on the election outcome, but to contribute to a discussion about the role green energy policy played in the outcome of the Ontario election. Were their respective positions... [Read More...]
Ontario Wind Market set for a Breather in 2012 as Red Tape Delays Construction of Wind Projects
Toronto, Ontario (September 30, 2011): The Ontario wind market will decline 41% from record highs in 2011 to 304 MW in 2012. The decline is largely caused by slower than expected permitting processes according to a market analysis by ClearSky Advisors. However, driven by the FIT program, the pipeline of wind projects is strong and may bounce back to new heights in 2013, depending on the outcome of the October 6 provincial election. The expected market... [Read More...]
What Does Ontario’s Provincial Election Mean for the Province’s Wind and Solar PV Industries?
Ask anyone involved in Ontario’s wind and solar PV markets about what keeps them up at night and the answer invariably includes political uncertainty. Indeed, a recent survey conducted by ClearSky Advisors of Ontario developers and installers bore this out: 98% of respondents indicated that political uncertainty was their biggest concern for future success of the industry in Ontario. This concern is the result of two simple truths: Policy is currently... [Read More...]
Economic Impacts of Solar PV Sector 2008-2018
The technologies and applications used to generate our electricity have a range of impacts. They affect our economy, our health, our environment, and our local innovation. For example, investment in coal creates cheap electricity but has expensive health and environmental impacts. On the other hand, investment in ... [Read More...]
The Economic Impacts of Wind Energy in Ontario 2011-2018
Conducted by ClearSky Advisors, and commissioned by the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) , “The Economic Impacts of Wind Energy in Ontario” is the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the economic impacts of the wind energy industry in the province. According to the study, Wind energy developments in Ontario will create more than 80,000 person years of employment and attract more than $16 billion in private sector investments... [Read More...]