The Ontario Power Authority came out on the weekend with a bit more justification for a proposed reduction in the feed in tariff rate for MicroFIT ground mount solar installations. The long and the short of it is that the authority wants a consistent rate of return in the 11% range for all projects, and this means a necessary adjustment to ground mount systems that produce more energy (According to their press releases). It also put out a list of answers to some of the more burning questions including the reason why it won't grandfather MicroFIT applications filed prior to July 2nd, although all those with conditional offers still get the 80.2 cent rate rather than the proposed 58.8 cents for each kilowatt hour of electricity generated with a ground mounted solar system under 10 kilowatts in size. The OPA also states that if an applicant responds to the 58.8 cent offer now, and the rate goes up after the comment period ends on August 3rd, the rate that will be granted will be the final rate. And while the OPA says that this resubmission means your application will be ready to be processed, Rooftop Kilowatts is concerned that it could also be used by the OPA as a sign that people are willing to accept the lower rate -- despite having a gun to the head. Furthermore, the OPA states that after the comment period those that applied prior to March 31st will "hear back from us" by the end of August, and prior to May 31st by the end of September.

One more thing: no more rate changes will be made prior to the two year review period in 2011, according to the OPA, however no specific date was given .  "This is the only move we plan on doing before the end of the two year review," said Ben Chin of the Ontario Power Authority.