Ontario Sustainable Energy Association


The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association is a non-profit organization supporting the growth of renewable energy and Community Power projects in the Canadian Province of Ontario. OSEA advocated an advanced renewable energy Feed-in Tariff program for Ontario, resulting in the creation of the Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program, a precursor to the Green Energy Act and, in 2007, the most progressive energy policy in North America in a decade.
OSEA has approximately 130 community and industry members as well as individual members. The affairs of the Association are managed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership.

History

OSEA was incorporated in 2001, sponsored by a number of community, environmental and industrial groups to be a focal point for consolidating activities promoting community power and integrated sustainable energy. Its Board is governed by twelve directors, four of which are elected by the membership annually. OSEA has been led and managed by Kristopher Stevens since May 2008 with Deborah Doncaster, Paul Gipe and Gwen Glover having served before him.
The concerns of the group included advocacy, outreach and capacity building. OSEA focuses on creating practical advice and guidelines such as community, municipal, First Nations and developer focused guidebooks and webinars that advance the collective interests of the sector. OSEA has been at the vanguard of sector transformation through various policy papers which have helped inform the creation of key policies, regulations and programs such as the Renewable Standard Offer Program and the Green Energy and Economy Act.
OSEA has hosted and co-hosted five successful international exhibitions and conferences to advance the sustainable energy sector with new insights, information and business opportunities. These include
- The 7th World Wind Energy Conference in Kingston, Ontario. Previous conferences had been held in Beijing, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Melbourne, and New Delhi. It was at the Kingston conference that the Green Energy Act Alliance was launched with the intent of bringing together a single voice to make conservation and renewable energy the priority in Ontario.
- Three consecutive Community Power Conference held in Toronto Ontario
- All-Energy Canada Exhibition and Conference in Toronto, Ontario
OSEA has approximately 130 community and industry members as well as individual members. The affairs of the Association are governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership.

Policies and positions

The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association encourages and enables the people of Ontario to improve the environment, the economy and their health by producing clean, sustainable energy in their homes, businesses and communities. The OSEA community - staff, interns, volunteers, members, friends and supporters - are actionists looking for solutions. They work pro-actively to build bridges between stakeholders and seek ways to improve Ontario's energy system collaboratively recognizing that community, industry and government should all play a role in shaping Ontario’s energy future.
OSEA defines sustainable energy as including:
OSEA supports the growth of Community Power in Ontario. Community Power is a class of community-based energy projects that are owned, developed and controlled in full or in part by residents of the community in which the project is located. Community Power proponents include local residents, farmer collaboratives, co-operatives, First Nations, municipalities and other institutions working to develop local sustainable energy projects.
A typical community spends 20 percent of its gross income buying energy, and 80 percent of those dollars leave town buying imported energy. Community-based sustainable energy developments provide an excellent opportunity to help keep energy dollars in the community, create economic development, empower residents, cut pollution and greenhouse gases and address energy security concerns. According to the Iowa Policy Project locally owned renewable energy project generates 5-10 times the local economic benefits than do conventional ownership models. From a solely economic perspective every dollar invested by local community members results in a 3 times multiplier within the community.

Projects

The Community Power Services Group of OSEA helps communities with the earlier stages of their projects. Examples include:
OSEA engages government, regulators and energy stakeholders on an ongoing basis to ensure that communities are empowered to develop their local sustainable energy resources for a greener, healthier future. OSEA advocated an advanced renewable energy Feed-in Tariff program for Ontario, resulting in the creation of the Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program, a precursor to the Green Energy Act and, in 2007, the most progressive energy policy in North America in a decade.
OSEA has produced a number of well researched resources to help inform the discussion about Ontario’s evolution towards a 100% sustainable energy system including:
Centered on conservation and renewable energy this includes: