City still awaiting OPA approval for photovoltaic power project

News — 20 October 2010

The city of Dryden and its wholly owned Dryden Renewable Energy Corporation (DREC) are awaiting word from the provincial government’s Ontario Power Authority (OPA) on a 20 year power purchase agreement for the proposed solar park.

Having just received a grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund for $100,000, the city will now have the funds needed to explore the feasibility of this solar park and conduct the Renewable Energy Approval.

“Dryden was pleased to have the $100,000 to support the study regarding solar energy creation here,” says current Dryden mayor, Anne Krassilowsky.

The city of Dryden, through DREC, submitted an application to the OPA Feed-In Tariff Program for a 5MW Photovoltaic project in November 2009. The OPA is currently reviewing the project as part of its Economic Connection Test.

Having received no word from OPA on previous rounds of approvals in September, the city of Dryden is hoping to receive word in November, during the next round of approvals from OPA.

“We want to make sure that our application to Ontario Power Authority is recognized as being a very viable component and that we should be recognized and have the go-ahead to build the solar farm preferably before winter,” says Krassilowsky. “We want to make darn sure they know that we’re still in the picture, that we do qualify, that we have all of our little ducks lined up, and we’re good to go.”

Krassilowsky says it’s been quite a challenge for the city, having to wait for word from OPA, and having no concrete reason for the delay.

“That’s a bit of a challenge for Dryden to have to face when our studies are all done, our heritage study is done, geologically, we have everything in place ready to go, and it’s hard to understand why we would not be recognized,” she said.

By Ally Dunham

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