The following summary of the benefits of renewable energy generation is drawn from the OPA’s Information for Local Distribution Companies website and OSEA’s Powering Ontario Communities report.

• Fighting Climate Change through reducing GHG emissions. Generation from community-scale renewable energy replaces fossil fuel sources and contributes to the province’s ability to close coal-fired plants.
• Reducing environmental impacts (cleaner air, water and soil) benefits our health and our environment.
• A diversified fuel supply strengthens our energy system. Diversity in technologies as well as geographies reduces our vulnerability to centralized failures.
• Low or no cost energy sources (water, wind, sun, waste) reduce the cost uncertainty of relying on fossil fuels and nuclear material.
• Distributed generation can promote transmission and distribution system reliability. Smaller community-based generation is located closer to where it is consumed. This reduces transmission line losses and lowers the system’s maintenance costs.
• New project investment aids local economic development. Farmers, other rural landowners, community groups, co-operatives, First Nations, and rural businesses and industry are potential investors and owners in projects that directly benefit their local communities.
• High-skill job creation - Unions, skilled and unskilled labour, and recent university graduates benefit from the introduction of an expanding renewable energy industrial sector.
• Diversified tax base - Increased economic activity in rural areas would generate incremental tax revenues.