Thousands of Ontarians will soon be generating solar power for the province, but the effort comes at enormous cost of solar subsidies to already over-burdened tax payers.
Ontario Power Authority has set prices for ground-based solar projects which are part of the renewable energy initiative known as microFIT, or micro feed-in tariff. Successful microFIT applicants will be paid 64.2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Applicants that sent in requests prior to July 2nd will be paid a higher rate of 80.2 cents/kWh. All prices are guaranteed to microFIT producers for twenty years.
roof mounted solar: a bargain at only 80.2 cents/KWh
In the first quarter of 2010, the average price of the Hourly Ontario Energy Price was only 3.38 cents/KWh. microFIT producers are to be paid almost 20 times the rate of generating electricity by hydro, coal and nuclear sources.
Ontarians are in the process of having all electricity meters converted to time-of-use or ‘smart’ meters. The highest rate of use charge is 9.9 cents/KWh, the lowest 5.3 cents/KWh. The difference between what microFIT producers earn and what the consumer is charged will be met by Ontario taxpayers.
The goal of producing energy with lower pollution is noble, but we need to acknowledge that paying for solar at nearly 20 times the normal electricity price is too much subsidy for too little return. Ontario Energy Minister Brad Duguid attempted to lower the feed-in tariff to 58.8 cents, claiming that at 80.2 cents/KWh Ontario energy users would be charged $1 billion more over the life of the contracts.
Duguid would do more good by scrapping the expensive microFIT program until solar becomes efficient enough to compete in the generating market without subsidies or other alternatives become available. Until then, Ontarian’s pocketbooks might thank him for affordable, reliable electricity from more traditional sources.
Love it, that one’s a real foot tapper and was the first piece of music that I was able to play flawlessly.
“we need to acknowledge that paying for solar at nearly 20 times the normal electricity price is too much subsidy for too little return.”
Ontario pol, “Sure, I acknowledge it-now pay up.”
Very off topic, but it struck me that the philosopher and composer of contemporary classical music John Cage may have written the piece describing all the reality behind dangerous human caused global warming.
Ladies and Gentleman, 3’44 with The London Philharmonic Orchestra:
don’t worry, dave. knowing mc taxy..he’ll just raise the taxes to pay for it because remrmber, a bunch of fry cooks and insurance salesmen must be loaded down with money, right? right?!
The sad part about it, is that as long as he keeps toronto happy, he’ll just get rubberstamped back into office and be allowed to tax the people some more to pay for his greenism.
Dulton & his gang of Eco-Grifters has soooooooooooo screwed Ontario. What a scam, what stupidity.
The loser in all this is the Ontario taxpayer because if they are forced to hide this cost by paying it out of general revenues then either taxes go up, deficits go up or services are reduced.
So Dulton which schools and hospitals will you close to pay people outrageous FIT rates to produce “Green” power ?
[...] is a short blog from the Daily Bayonet click link that does an excellent job of showing the subsidy cost of energy from solar energy panels in [...]