Bill C-340

1st Session, 41st Parliament,

60 Elizabeth II, 2011

house of commons of canada

BILL C-340

An Act respecting a National Strategy to Encourage the Development of Renewable Energy Sources

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National Renewable Energy Strategy Act.

INTERPRETATION

2. The following definitions apply in this Act.

“Minister” means the Minister of Natural Resources.

“renewable energy source” means an energy source that can be naturally replenished or renewed within a human lifespan.

NATIONAL STRATEGY

3. Within one year after this Act comes into force, the Minister must, in consultation with the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for energy matters, develop and make public a national strategy for increasing the proportion of electricity generated from renewable energy sources in Canada to 90% as soon as possible, but no later than December 31, 2030.

4. The national strategy referred to in section 3 must include the following objectives:

(a) the initiation in each calendar year of twice as many new renewable energy production projects as non-renewable energy production projects;

(b) an increase in federal investment in research and development of renewable energy technologies;

(c) cooperation between the federal government and provincial and territorial governments in the development of new large-scale, public producers of electricity; and

(d) the creation of a green energy economy and the creation of green jobs.

5. (1) Within one year after this Act comes into force, the Minister must work with the Minister of Finance to develop and implement tax incentives to

(a) encourage the development of, and investment in, renewable energy projects related to solar, wind, tidal and biomass electricity generation; and

(b) encourage homeowners and businesses to retrofit their properties to increase the proportion of electricity used by these properties that is derived from renewable energy sources.

(2) The tax incentives described in paragraph (1)(a) apply solely to the start-up costs of new projects and not to ongoing costs.

REGULATIONS

6. The Governor in Council may make regulations for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act.