Ontario introduces proposal system for wind energy Wednesday, December 4, 2013 by SUSAN MANN The Ontario government plans to introduce a new type of procurement for wind energy next year, says Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli. The new procurement will start in the first quarter of 2014 and be based on a request or proposal system. The procurement for wind will be more targeted and controlled than it was under the Feed in Tariff (FIT) program. “We’ve taken wind out of the FIT program,” he told southwestern Ontario reporters during a telephone press conference Wednesday afternoon held to discuss the government’s recently released long term energy plan. To win a contract, successful companies will need to have a “significant engagement with the municipality where it’s going to be sited,” he says. Municipalities won’t have an absolute veto on wind energy projects going into their area, but it will be very difficult for a “proponent to win a contact.” Chiarelli says municipalities aren’t given an absolute veto because there are times when generation capacity or transmission lines must be planned regionally whether the energy is renewable or not. If two or three connected municipalities had a veto over energy infrastructure, “you wouldn’t be able to move a transmission line across a county or even across two counties. There has to be some fail safe way for us to say, ‘Everybody’s got to do their share.’” In the current energy mix used and distributed in Ontario, renewable energy including wind represents less than four per cent, Chiarelli says. Another initiative in the government’s long-term energy plan is financial help for municipalities to generate energy plans. Municipalities must realize that if they’re going to expand subdivisions and build new commercial/industrial property, that will need more electricity and they can’t simply say they’ll let the generation happen in someone else’s backyard, he explains. “There has to be a certain merging of energy planning between the municipal sector and the provincial sector. This new long term plan creates that marriage of planning,” he says. BF Guilty: jury convicts Pigeon King of fraud Ontario's revamped energy plan has an ag focus
22 young leaders graduate from Rural Ontario Institute’s Change Makers Program Tuesday, October 28, 2025 The Rural Ontario Institute () has marked a milestone in rural leadership development with the graduation of 22 participants from its () program. The private ceremony, held this October, celebrated a year of learning, collaboration, and community impact. “We are excited to... Read this article online
Demco-Welker Farms Collab Delivers Big Buddy Tuesday, October 28, 2025 Demco recently introduced the Big Buddy grain cart, a product of collaboration with Big Equipment, the makers of Big Bud tractors, Titan Tires, and the well-known Montana-based Welker Farms. The project began when the Welker family decided to rebuild and modify their iconic Big Bud... Read this article online
New MacDon FD2 Plus Draper Header Monday, October 27, 2025 Case IH continues to expand its innovative harvest equipment lineup with the launch of the MacDon FD2 Plus Draper Header, a new series designed to provide farmers with smoother, cleaner, and more efficient harvesting. Available in multiple widths — 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and even 61... Read this article online
Lots of news from the Ontario Pork Congress Monday, October 27, 2025 The Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) took place on October 20, 2020, at the Arden Park Hotel in Stratford, Ontario, with over 50 attendees. At the event, Arnold Drung, President of Conestoga Meats, was honoured with the . Drung has been a dedicated supporter of the OPC for over 23... Read this article online
Free Tools to Power Up Your Farm’s Digital Life in Canada Wednesday, October 22, 2025 For many Canadian farm families, the internet has become as vital as a tractor or combine. It is how producers manage precision planting, monitor commodity prices, check weather forecasts, pay bills and stay connected with suppliers and customers. However, fast and reliable broadband remains out... Read this article online