Ontario Still Clarifying Domestic Content Rules for Feed-in

UNCLAS TORONTO 000074 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO FERC DEPT PASS TO USTR/MARY SULLIVAN DEPT PASS TO EPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ENRG SENV CA SUBJECT: Ontario Still Clarifying Domestic Content Rules for Feed-in Tariff Program; Quebec Not Granted Domestic Status REF: (A) TORONTO 58; (B) 09 TORONTO 255; (C) 09 TORONTO 229 Sensitive But Unclassified -- Please Protect Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) A senior Ontario official told Post on January 29 that the Province's trade and cooperation agreement with Quebec, signed in September 2009, falls short of granting Quebec domestic status in Ontario. Contrary to speculation, Quebec-based companies applying for Ontario's FIT program are required to meet the same Ontario domestic content requirements as foreign companies. ¶2. (SBU) The Ontario Power Authority (OPA),responsible for procuring new electricity generation in the Province, received roughly 1,000 applications for projects over 10 kilowatts (kW) and nearly 1,200 microFIT applications (mostly for residential roof-top solar power systems) during the first round of the FIT program in October and November 2009. The larger scale FIT applications are still being assessed; the OPA will release their decisions in March ¶2010. JOHNSON