Two companies are vying to build solar energy sites on rural land in the County, part of a push to reduce the province-wide energy deficit. 

Ontario’s Independent Electricity Systems Operator (IESO), a branch of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, anticipates a 75 percent increase in demand for electricity by 2050. It is seeking proposals for new energy generating facilities to meet the need.

At its September 9th meeting, Council voted in favour of issuing letters of support for two such proposals, one from Compass Greenfield, and the other from Alectra Energy Solutions.

The site of each project is zoned rural and leased from private owners. Both sites satisfy the IESO procurement criteria that they be near hydro transmission lines.

Compass Greenfield’s project, Elmbrook Agrivoltaics, will combine agriculture and solar energy generation at a 105-acre site on Elmbrook Drive. In the first phase, the land around the solar panels will be used for sheep grazing. Eventually, they will introduce crop production. Proposed maximum energy capacity is 22 MW. 

The operation would be mostly screened from the road by existing vegetation. 

“The visual impact compared to other solar proposals you’ve seen is next to nil,” said Compass Greenfield’s James Marzatto. 

The company cancelled a proposal to build an agrivoltaics operation on Victoria Road in Carrying Place following community engagement sessions and interconnection results from Hydro One.

Electric Sheep — Embrook Voltaics proposes putting its 105-acre site on Elmbrook Drive to work grazing sheep in order to build a solar installation on a portion of the land.
Normally, solar installations on not permitted on Prime Ag.
But the innovative project combines the two uses. 

They hosted their first community open house for Elmbrook Agrivoltaics on June 16th. They are in talks with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte to bring them in as equity partners on the development, but have not confirmed how much that partnership will be worth. 

They are offering a Community Benefit Agreement with the County for $1,000 per megawatt. 

Council was keen to renegotiate the offer down the line, particularly after listening to another proposal from Alectra Energy Solutions in side-by-side deputations. 

“You may have had the disadvantage of going second,” Councillor Bill Roberts told Mr. Marzatto. 

Alectra, in partnership with Kruger Energy, has brought the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte on board for a 50 percent equity partnership. 

They are also offering a $2,000 per megawatt Community Benefit payment to the municipality. 

“We take community, municipal, and First Nations engagements very seriously,” said Alectra’s Kevin Whyte.

Alectra’s project sits on a 180-acre property on Clark Road. The solar panels will take up about half of the site. 

A staff report prepared by Scott Pordham noted that a western portion of the property is part of a Natural Core Area associated with woodlands. The proposed location for the solar panels avoids the woodland as well as a watercourse on the property. 

Should either project be accepted by the IESO, they will need to go through all of the obligatory studies and apply for zoning by-law amendments to allow solar operations. 

”We are at step one of a thousand,” Mr. Whyte said. 

Speaking in favour of Elmbrook Agrivoltaics in a comment from the audience, John Thompson noted that “no valuable farmland will be lost but the value to society of this largely marginal land’s contribution will be increased.”

Submissions to the IESO are due October 16th, with the contracts expected to be awarded in the first quarter of 2026.