Cumberland Councillor Stephen Blais is pleased to announce that he has kept another promise by generating new streams of revenue through the generation of solar electricity on city owned rooftops.

“I am pleased that my vision of using city building rooftops for the production of solar energy is becoming a reality,” said Councillor Blais. “City Hall is ushering in a new era with new ideas that will benefit our residents.”

Under Ontario’s Feed-in Tarrif (FIT) program, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) pays independent solar electricity producers up to $0.80 per kilowatt for power delivered back to the grid. The development of solar electricity generation projects will enable small, local, renewable energy producers to get into the energy market and make Ottawa a leader in the generation of green energy.

As a Catholic school board trustee, Councillor Blais supported an initiative to install two large solar panels on the roof of a new elementary School. The school board has projected to reap $54,000 a year and pay the cost of all electricity, natural gas and water for the school.

“City Hall, more than ever, needs a generational change in leadership with ideas that will benefit our families and communities,” adds Blais. “City Council must capitalize on opportunities that other cities around the globe have been taking advantage of for some time.”