The 184 projects are in addition to the 510 renewable energy contract offers totaling 112 MW approved last month.
All of the 694 FIT contract offers announced to date are expected to create 20,000 direct and indirect green jobs and attract about C$9 billion in private-sector investment, as well as investment in new Ontario-based manufacturing.
Projects include 47 onshore wind, 76 are ground-mounted solar photovoltaic and 46 hydro projects. Brookfield Renewable Power Inc.'s Comber Wind project has been offered a 20-year contract under the FIT program. The project is located in Essex County, Ontario, and is expected to have an installed capacity of 165 MW.
The project, which is subject to final contract execution and customary conditions, is expected to begin construction later this year with a planned commercial operation date in 2011.
Projects that did not receive a first-round FIT contract offer will now be put through an economic connection test to identify transmission or distribution system expansion projects that support renewable generation and meet economic requirements. The first test will start later this year. Renewable energy projects enabled by these expansions projects will be eligible for a FIT contract once work begins on the projects, according to the OPA.
SOURCES: The Ontario Power Authority, Brookfield Renewable Power
