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Towards 100% Renewable Energy: A Study on Community Energy Planning in Oxford County, Ontario

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Date

2018-12-31

Authors

Cheng, Franky

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Abstract

This research examines how Oxford County, a community that includes 7 municipalities in Ontario, Canada is planning to achieve 100% renewable energy (100% RE). Throughout many decades of ongoing energy discussions, Ontario has come a long way by implementing numerous energy policies to address key issues on energy production, distribution and consumption. Ontario’s energy policies have been constantly revised to fuel the growth in RE development. Based at least on megawatts (MW) installed, it can be safely stated that Ontario was headed in the right direction until the 2018 cancellation of key environmental and electricity incentive systems undertaken by the Doug Ford government. The goal of this paper is to identify what the Ontario provincial government has done in the past and present in relation to the development of RE in the electricity sector. Also, the paper explores how Ontario municipalities can achieve 100% RE. Achieving that goal involves careful planning and major improvements on current and future RE policies. The good news is that many communities and leading companies have already implemented their own 100% RE initiatives. Furthermore, those leaders have been able to accomplish their own environmental and economic goals while creating many local benefits. In Ontario today (2018), the future of RE development is in peril. The rise of the Doug Ford Conservatives has brought opposition to RE into political power and numerous RE projects have already been cancelled. Oxford County provides both inspiration and a roadmap to reframe the way 100% RE is understood and developed in Ontario and Canada.

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Keywords

Solar Photovoltaics, Energy Planning, Sustainability, PV Systems, LED Technology

Citation

Major Paper, Master of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University

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