Ontario Agriculture

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Details of proposed ground-mounted solar PV new calculations.

From John Cowan:

I do not buy into the rhetoric coming from Minister Brad Duguid on the new price rates proposed for ground-mounted solar units. In a newspaper story on July 15/10, Duguid uses a return of 20-25 % on the ground units. In another newspaper on July 16/10, Duguid uses a stated rate of 25-30 % return.  What paltering! The government hierarchy of authority saw a flood of solar applications come in. This is too successful, we do not want this, power plants could be idled back, and union members would be upset if jobs could be lost. Is this the logic for their “rational”? Let’s go with the most inefficient solar power unit with lowest output. Plus lots of urban homes do not have a suitable rooftop. This tells me that the McGuinty government and Duguid are not serious about green energy. They have thrown a monkey wrench into this program. I am sure that through the green energy act, OPA did not have returns of 20-25-30 percent projected for the solar ground units.  The people selling the solar ground units only predict a 10-14 % return on their units for sale. I am sure they are lenient with the projected rate of return for their units to sell as many units as possible. What hat did Duguid use to pull out the number of 30 percent?

I now have friends and neighbors with ground-mounted solar units with a .82 cent contract! Because I was leery of the projected return from the ground units and the high cost as I would have to borrow the money, I did not commit myself to sign up on the OPA web site until February 2010. At first I looked at a micoFIT lease with a company. I took the lease to a lawyer and he wrote down a dozen points for me to think about. That company lease would have been a leap of faith for me to sign. After talking to a company representative, this lease was not even what was advertized in the paper. My lawyer was also in the middle of a lawsuit for a farmer over being sued by the contractors of the solar company whom had not been paid for any of the work done for the ground-solar unit as he had gone broke. I am sure the legal lawsuits are just starting with this renege in the price for ground-solar units.

Where is the morality of the green act as a function of the government for the solar power projects and as the terms are performed, are allowed to change in a few months, not twenty years. I am still on the fence thanks to the McCuinty government flip flopping!

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Bawden on August 3, 2010 at 8:35am
Looks suspiciously like the solar offer of a few years ago.
Permalink Reply by Bristow on August 3, 2010 at 12:52pm
Window dressing policies, they have no intention of the project suceeding. No when a power company makes it for free, if they buy extra power from the comsumer or convert everyone to solar, they lose money. A government will never do anything unless there is a benefit for them, in the form of revenue or information. But to their mind they think they are showing the sheep, how much they care. Its like the sign, on vacate piece of land saying site for the new police station. Four years later the sign is the only thing built. Ps who is Mc guinty never heard off him in Northern Ontario. I suppose he's waiting for more Dion Quintplettes for before he pays a visit.

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Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Soybean Fungicide Decisions

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2025 Annual General Meeting

On Wednesday, June 18th, the Ontario Farmland Trust hosted its Annual General Meeting. The meeting was held hybrid again this year, with members and friends joining both virtually and in person.

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