[Ontario] Grits extend energy rebate – by Sebastien Perth (Sudbury Star – December 15, 2012)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

A provincial program that saves millions in energy costs for large industries in Northern Ontario has been extended for three years.

Northern Development and Mines Minister and Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci made the announcement Friday at Xstrata Nickel’s operations in Falconbridge.

The Northern Industrial Electricity Rate program can provide a company with a rebate of two-cents per kilowatt hour up to a maximum of $20 million a year. The program was set to expire in March, but will now be in effect until 2016.

To access Northern Industrial Electricity Rate funding, companies must provide a plan showing how they will reduce their energy consumption.

“They have to develop a plan that has to be in discussion with the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and the ministry of Environment then they have to make sure that the plan is implemented and we follow to make sure that energy conservation is taking place,” Bartolucci said. “You see the success of the program and the importance of the program and if I am still where I am now (in the future), I’d be advocating for the program because it’s so good.”

The Northern Industrial Electricity Rate program has a $120-million budget per year that will need to be approved annually.

Bartolucci said the extension was something that both industry and government thought was a good idea.

“I think we can safely say that it was a combination of both. Industry working with government, government understands industry’s needs. Both focused on ensuring they are competitive and we want to create jobs. So it’s coming from both,” Bartolucci said.

For the rest of this article, please go to the Sudbury Star website: http://www.thesudburystar.com/2012/12/14/liberals-extend-energy-rebate-program