Should Ontario Streamline Approvals for Renewable Energy Projects?

Official title: Amending the Renewable Energy Approval regulation to remove certain project types from the process and streamline the review of Natural Heritage Assessments

Closed Regulations & Permits Environment & Climate Natural Resources
Ontario wants to speed up renewable energy approvals. Right now, some projects need multiple permits even when electricity generation isn't their main purpose. The province is proposing to exempt certain projects from the Renewable Energy Approval process and let qualified professionals sign off on environmental assessments instead of requiring government review.

Why This Matters

Care about clean energy in Ontario? This affects how fast solar, wind, and biogas projects get built. Faster approvals could mean more renewable power sooner. But shifting environmental reviews from government to private consultants raises questions about oversight.

What Could Change

Industrial facilities like factories and hospitals that generate their own renewable power could skip the Renewable Energy Approval process entirely. Natural heritage assessments would no longer need Ministry of Natural Resources sign-off—qualified professionals would self-certify instead. This could cut months off project timelines.

Key Issues

  • Should facilities where electricity generation is secondary be exempt from Renewable Energy Approvals?
  • Should qualified professionals replace government review of Natural Heritage Assessments?
  • What are the anticipated costs or savings for Ontario businesses from these changes?

How to Participate

  1. Read the proposal on the Environmental Registry of Ontario and the related Natural Heritage Assessment Guide proposal.
  2. Submit your comment online through the ERO notice page. Include ERO number 025-1367 in your submission.
  3. Or email your feedback to permissions.modernization@ontario.ca with ERO number 025-1367 in the subject line.

Key Documents