Ontario Program

Overview of Ontario's Clean Energy Credit Program

In response to government policy, the IESO is launching a provincial clean energy credit (CEC) registry to provide Ontario businesses with a new tool to meet their corporate environmental and sustainability goals.

CECs are electronic certificates used to demonstrate that clean energy from Ontario based generation has been acquired, to meet a voluntary target. Each credit represents 1 MWh of clean energy that has been generated and is intended to be exclusively purchased and claimed (or retired) by a load customer within Ontario.

Transmission and distribution connected generators of the following clean energy fuel types are eligible to participate in the sale of clean energy credits in Ontario:

  • Biofuel
  • Biogas
  • Biomass
  • Hydro
  • Nuclear
  • Solar
  • Wind

Ontario CEC Program

Eligible generators and loads participating in the sale and purchase of CECs are to register with Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System (M-RETS) for the Ontario Program. The M-RETS registry platform will allow for the creation, transfer and retirement of CECS.

Once an organization has enrolled into the Ontario Program, the organization can enlist the services of a broker or independently sell and purchase CECs. See M-RETS Operating Procedure and Ontario Program Rules posted on the M-RETS Registry Documents website. Training on how to use the M-RETS registry is also available:

Sale of IESO-Owned Environmental Attributes

The IESO will make available for sale CECs for some of its contracted generators for which it owns the environmental attributes. Additional information related to the sale of IESO-Owned CECs can be found in the letter from the Minister. Those interested in purchasing IESO-Owned CECs can contact Customer Relations.

Related Information

Minister Asks IESO to Implement the Clean Energy Credit Registry - February 23, 2023

The Minister of Energy has asked the IESO to continue to implement the clean energy credit registry following its launch in March 2023, and signalled the province’s expectations around program rules, market demand and data-tracking for clean energy credits in Ontario.