News
Ontario’s clean energy registry hopes to make province more attractive for investment

TORONTO – As environmental and sustainability goals increasingly influence corporate decisions on where to invest and grow, the Ontario government is developing a voluntary clean energy credit (CEC) registry to boost Ontario’s international competitiveness and try and attract jobs.

“Ontario families have done the heavy-lifting and built one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world. Our government is ensuring Ontario is leveraging this competitive advantage to drive investment and create jobs.” said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. “The creation of a clean energy credit registry will give businesses the opportunity to meet their corporate environmental and sustainability goals when choosing to operate in Ontario and will also generate revenue which could be returned to Ontario ratepayers to help lower electricity costs.”

Voluntary CECs are certificates that each represent 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of clean electricity that has been generated from a non-emitting source, such as solar, wind, bioenergy, hydroelectric and nuclear power. A provincial CEC registry will leverage Ontario’s clean electricity system and allow businesses to voluntarily purchase and retire these CECs to meet their corporate sustainability goals and demonstrate that their electricity has been sourced from a non-emitting resource. A CEC registry could return funds raised through the purchase of CECs to Ontario ratepayers and could support future clean energy generation in the province.

The Ontario government has directed the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to research and report back on the design of a provincial CEC registry, that would give businesses more choice in how they achieve their corporate sustainability goals. The IESO will deliver its report by July 4, 2022. The government will consider the report as well as stakeholder input, with the intention of having the registry available by January 2023.

“A voluntary clean energy credit market could be a key tool to help Ontario electricity customers realize their clean energy preferences,” says Lesley Gallinger, President and CEO of the IESO. “We will engage with industry stakeholders, businesses, and others as we assess options for a potential market.”

“By lowering taxes, reducing electricity costs and cutting red tape, our government has reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario by $7 billion a year,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Developing a clean energy credit registry with flexible options adds to the list of benefits to businesses looking to expand and invest in Ontario.”