Toronto-based Invenergy Solar Canada is proposing a large-scale solar project in Clearview Township.
The project is proposed in partnership with First Ontario Energy on Somerville Nurseries property that is more than 400 acres in size located near New Lowell between County Road 9 and Hogback Road.
Invenergy Solar manager of business development Ryan Ralph told council July 13 that the project was originally developed by First Ontario Energy for the provincial government’s feed-in-tariff program. The project was pitched in 2013 as the Clearview Sun Solar Project.
It is now being rejigged as a bid in the provincial government’s Independent Electricity System Operator under the large renewable procurement (LRP) request for proposals, due Sept. 1.
Ralph said the detailed engineering is still in the works but the project would generate between 40-70 megawatts.
This is the second solar project that has come before council recently.
LRP projects are exempt from the municipal planning process but proponents are seeking council support in order to strengthen their proposals.
The township is hosting public meetings on behalf of the proponents even though council is not being asked to approve the projects, only to show support for them.
A public meeting for the Invenergy Solar project will be held at town hall on August 10.
BluEarth Renewables first outlined plans for a 29-megawatt solar farm at Edenvale Aerodrome at a June 1 council meeting.
At a public meeting hosted at town hall on July 13, two people asked questions about glare and maintenance of the tree line, which is used as a sight buffer, but no objections were voiced.
Part of the process is to develop a community benefit fund, which will result in money being paid to the township.
Ralph said a 78-megawatt project in Chatham has resulted in more than $150,000 going to the community since 2011. He said the level of funding and whether or not it is paid annually or in one lump sum is up for negotiation with council, who would direct how the funds are used within the community.
Both proposals will be submitted to the provincial government’s Independent Electricity System Operator under the large renewable procurement (LRP) request for proposals by Sept. 1. Contracts would be awarded in December.
All large-scale renewable energy projects are being managed through the township’s Large Scale Renewable Energy Protocol, approved by council in March.
The township has been inundated with inquiries from applicants interested in large-scale solar projects since a provincial request-for-proposal submission stage opened up under a procurement process through the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).
IESO has attached a point system to the approval process. Applicants are awarded points for consultation with the township or a group within the township and the more points they get, the more likely they are to get a contract.
If council chooses it can resolve to support the project and enter into a development agreement.
Proponents do need to access municipal property in order to distribute the energy to the grid.
Councillor Kevin Elwood provided notice last month he would be bringing forward a motion August 10 asking that the township not enter into any agreements “until the province passes legislation to ensure that all municipalities are not left open to any municipal assets being used as any form of security by a third party corporation in conjunction with any renewable energy project”.
The Invenergy Solar project public meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on August 10 at town hall, located at 217 Gideon St. in Stayner.