A sunny future

The investment may pale in comparison to the billions the province plans to pour into new nuclear power, but let's give Ontario credit for taking a step toward encouraging solar power on a wider scale than it's been used before:

Ontario will soon offer Canada's first subsidy to homeowners or businesses that install solar electric power.

The incentive — 42 cents for every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced — is to be announced Tuesday by Premier Dalton McGuinty, industry sources say...

With the energy savings, the system could be paid off in 20 to 25 years. That's when the main payoff begins, since the equipment is expected to last 40 to 60 years, Rob McMonagle, executive director of the Canadian Solar Industries Association, said yesterday.

The Ontario project may only be a start to what needs to be done in making use of solar power. But at the very least it should provide a serious boost to an industry that hasn't really developed yet in Canada...and once solar power can establish a foothold, it should be a lot easier for other provinces to follow suit with programs of their own.