A proposed regulation under the Green Energy Act, 2009 (section 6) would require public agencies (i.e. Municipalities, Universities/Colleges, Schools, Hospitals) to submit annual energy consumption and building characteristic info as outlined in the proposed template. In addition, these public agencies would be responsible for developing and implementing three year energy conservation plans for designated facilities. The first report would be due on July 1, 2013 and would require designated agencies to complete the proposed Energy Consumption and GHG Emission Template using 2012 data.
Like the Toxics Reduction Act, the mandatory baselines and reduction plans would provide the Ontario government with valuable information on how energy is used within each sector, allow organizations to determine how their facilities compare to similar facilities, and how they are reducing their GHG emissions. If energy prices stay high, the whole process should save public agencies quite a bit of money in the medium to longer term. I expect that some entrepreneurs will offer the energy audit service for little or nothing, in exchange for a chance to supply the agencies with energy reduction goods and services. This is working well in the lighting sector.
See Energy Conservation Plans for Public Agencies: Proposed Regulation, EBR Registry Number 011-3506