World Wind Energy ConferenceJune 25, 2008Scott VokeyEnergy Services Coordinator, AMO/LAS

Association of Municipalities of Ontario

• Part 1 – How AMO’s Structure and Mandate supports community power

• Part 2 – How LAS and its Member Services Activities supports community power, energy management, and CDM initiatives

• Part 3 – Best Practises from our members

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• AMO is a non-partisan association representing almost all of Ontario’s 445 municipal governments

• AMO advocates on behalf of municipal governments on matters of province-wide policy and regulation

• AMO advocates for effective and autonomous municipal government– To support and enhance strong and effective municipal

government in Ontario– To promote the value of the municipal level of

government as a vital and essential component of Ontario’s and Canada’s political system

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• AMO has a 49 member Board, structured to provide equitable representation though 6 “Caucuses”, and an Executive of caucus chairs plus a President and 3 other functionaries

• This structure allows AMO to:– develop well informed consensus positions on key issues– speak with an authoritative and unified voice– keep members informed and educated– develop policy positions and reports on issues of interest– conduct ongoing liaison with the provincial and federal

governments

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AMO’s Energy Task Force• Comprised of politicians, advisors, and staff with an

interest in energy issues• Advises the Board on issues and preferred policy

outcomes related to energy conservation, local and DE, climate change, and related issues

• Recently revised ToR to include local generation and co-generation facilities renewable energy and district energy facilities

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• Established in 1992• Subsidiary of AMO• Develop and market innovative and beneficial

services to the municipal sector • Objective is to reduce the cost of common

expenditures and to increase revenues through economies of scale

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• Assist Municipal Capacity Building• Responsible Decision Making• Regulatory Imperatives– Energy Conservation Leadership Act– CECO request for MECO’s– Federal Gas Tax & ICSPs– Federal Carbon Credit Program?

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Ontario’s 445 Municipalities:• Spend ~$680 million annually on electricity• Spend ~$300 million annually on natural gas• Consume over 6.6 billion kilowatt hours (kWh)

of electricity per year (or 6.6 TWh)• 80% of consumption is covered by 10 accounts• Larger than all Industrial Segments with the

Exception of Pulp and Paper

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• Energy Markets—local and global

• Legislative Requirements

• Climate Change• Economic

Development

• LAS Procurement Programs

• Energy Services– Energy Management

Tool (EMT)– CDM Programs– Energy Plan Support– Policy Support– Education Programs

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Challenges Opportunities

• AMO/LAS champion community power b/c:– Distributed systems are more efficient– Helps build community independence– Renewable energy helps combat climate change– Local economic development impact– Part of integrated energy management approach– Carbon credits may help cash-strapped

municipalities fund enviro projects

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• Recently passed Wind Energy By-Law• City permits small-scale wind energy

conversion systems for domestic use that would also permit the sale of surplus power to the local utility provider.

• OP and Zoning By-Laws amended to allow small wind energy conversion systems in agricultural areas

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• Director of Planning Scott Tousaw has promoted integrated approach since 2005:– Raise Community Awareness– Involve Local Utilities– Review Local Planning Documents– Support a Community Wind Energy Policy

Framework

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• Most municipal council supportive of wind and other renewable energy development

• Typical NIMBY reactions remain but regulatory obstacles and backlogs connecting to the grid much more significant issues

Scott Vokey, Energy Services Coordinatorsvokey@amo.on.ca

416 971 9856

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