The Ontario government has tabled new legislation that would make it easier for northern communities to move off diesel into low-carbon locally sourced wood chips, reports the Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI).
When the provincial legislature resumed on Oct. 28, the Ministry of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction tabled new legislation which contained more than 80 proposed actions. Amongst them included “streamline permitting approvals for combined heat and power systems that use wood biomass fuels.”
The initiative attempts to create additional economic opportunities in Northern Ontario for timber by-products. The idea is to replace fossil fuel consumption (i.e. diesel) in parts of rural and Northern Ontario. This includes applications in hospitals and universities.
The ministry has launched a new Red Tape Reduction website to encourage people to submit ideas on how to reduce red tape and modernize regulations, reports HRAI.
