Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program (NIER) Continued Indefinitely
Ontario recently announced that the Northern Industrial Electricity Rate (NIER) program will be extended indefinitely. The NIER was introduced as a three-year program in 2010 and extended in 2012 for a second three-year term. Going forward, Ontario will continue to invest up to $120 million per year in the program.
Under the NIER program, Northern Ontario's largest industrial electricity consumers in the mining, oil and gas extraction and manufacturing sectors receive a rebate of two cents per kilowatt hour to offset the higher energy costs of operating in the north. Rebates are capped at a maximum of $20 million per year per company. The program is currently fully subscribed, however applications are still being accepted. As funds become available, new approved applicants will be accepted into the program.