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Ontario lauds its solar energy capacity

TORONTO, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The largest solar farm in Canada is producing energy for a township in Ontario as part of a push to lead North America in green technology, officials say.

The First Light Solar Park in the township of Stone Mills, Ontario, consists of more than 126,000 solar panels on a 90-acre farm. It is expected to generate more than 10 million kWh of renewable electricity in its first year, or enough to power around 10,000 homes.

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Ontario expects to be among the North American leaders in solar capacity when two more solar projects come online by the end of the year.

"Ontario is proud of this milestone project and we look forward to more solar success stories because of the Green Energy Act," said George Smitherman, deputy premier and minister of energy and infrastructure. "We are committed to getting more green energy online and bringing more green-collar jobs to communities across the province."

Ontario has added more than 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy and more than 150 solar projects to its grid since 2003.

If all projects develop as planned, the provincial government said, Ontario is on pace to increase its solar power capacity nearly 25-fold before the end of the year.

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