After years of missing out, Kingsville is hoping a new application to Ontario's Feed-in Tariff program will be a winner.
The FIT program offers financial incentives for renewable energy projects.
Town council has approved an Essex Energy application to the Independent Electricity Systems Operator to install solar panels on top of the Kingsville Arena Complex.
"We've got projects scattered around this area specifically, but also across the province," says Kristopher Taylor, representing Essex Energy. "The program, itself, has largely been popular across the province."
This is the last round of applications being accepted and council's approval gives the application to the IESO more points weighed towards approval.
"Now we're getting to market saturation. You're seeing more and more projects," says Taylor. "Now we're just trying to look at all the assets that really haven't been utilized for renewables. Kingsville arena, we've been trying for a little while, so hopefully we can get a project there this time."
Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos is hoping the project gets the green light from the IESO.
"It's a project that I think shows our community's interest in supporting green energy, and more importantly being able to capitalize on the energy that's really sitting on our rooftops that we can try, and contribute back to the grid," says Santos.
According to Taylor, if the project application goes as planned, new solar panels could be installed on the Kingsville arena roof by next summer.
