Neutopia Presentation to Mayor & Council Reveals Innovative Plans
Neutopia presented a 188 page report to the Mayor and Honourable members of Council on December 5, 2011 at a meeting of the Committee of the Whole. Robert Laporte and Chris Jepson traveled to Northern Ontario to present the eagerly anticipated document.
The report explains the efforts that were undertaken since December 2010, how Neutopia attracted Cliffs Natural Resources to the community, what transpired when Neutopia met with Cliffs representatives, as well as the Project Development Protocol that was initiated to begin planning the $450 million ecoPARK in Northern Ontario and the ecoCENTER network to support the Ring of Fire mining activities. We also presented a slideshow revealing substantial benefits to the residents and area aboriginal communities who could be benefiting from these opportunities if they are pursued, we are very hopeful we can stimulate interest.
Neutopia is now waiting to hear if Cliffs will be pursuing their plans in the region, and if so what opportunities the local communities may be interested in pursuing with Neutopia. All area Aboriginal community leaders were invited to meet with Robert Laporte during the community assessment phase and we had the opportunity to present our ideas to one of the local First Nation councils.
We are very hopeful we can generate interest in the opportunities we have presented, which we believe are the greatest economic and community development opportunities for the region in decades. In fact, we believe it is the greatest opportunity in Canadian history and this type of initiative could empower Aboriginal community’s with energy independence and a multitude of associated benefits.
The most shocking news we heard while in the region is that many leaders are still pushing for an extension of power lines through the landscape, when we are now living in an age of decentralized energy and community power…why would anyone want to buy electricity from another source when they could be making their own? This old-school thinking is a great tragedy across our country because it forces reliance on others and takes the power away from the community.
Since the Ring of Fire mining activities may be picking up steam in the near future, we strongly urge all community groups and community leaders to hear about Neutopia’s innovative solutions because they ensure revenues are re-invested in the communities and surrounding region.
Our fear is that if they don’t plan ahead they will lose these economic opportunities to other groups with other interests, because that is how our continent was developed and our new community leaders should be thinking outside of the box and assessing alternative solutions for the betterment of the communities they are representing.
Neutopia’s innovative business model represents a new era in Corporate Social Responsibility plans by merging industrial development with community and environmental initiatives.
Neutopia ecoSOLUTIONS Inc. has signed a Joint Venture to expand the Neutopia Global ecoPARK Initiative into Latin America. We have already contacted the Canadian Embassies in both Quito and Guyaquil regarding the Neutopia-Ecuadorian CONSORCIO Agreement with our Project Development partners in Ecuador.
Neutopia creates JV with partners in Ecuador for our first ecoPARK south of the border. The project consists of an agricultural waste to energy project with on-site solar farm. Left to right: Diego, José, Pablo, Pedro.
A professor was in attendance at the Monieson presentation in April 2011 and was so intrigued with Neutopia’s Social Benefit business model and our international projects that he invited us to be a guest lecturer to introduce his students to the unique business. The professor, a D.R. Sobey Professor of International Business at Queen’s and his students are focused on international business development.
Neutopia’s presentation was an awe-inspiring slideshow revealing the core of Neutopia; from the early beginnings in a one bedroom basement apartment to more than $250 million in projects currently being negotiated with the Neutopia Investment Network (not including our $450 million ecoPARK proposal presented in Northern Ontario).
The students had a rare opportunity to get a glimpse into Neutopia’s innovative business development protocol and saw pictures of our Neutopia teams in Ecuador and West Africa, and we discussed the potential for projects in Brazil and Southeast Asia. If your school is interested in hearing about Neutopia’s initiatives please contact us to discuss guest lecture opportunities.
Strategic Partnership; Neutopia has signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with investors and manufacturers based in the GTA. Neutopia is preparing to make a global impact in the solar industry.
Neutopia ecoSOLUTIONS Inc. Signs MOU with Investors for Solar Projects.
The solar industry is filled with companies who are all competing for the same projects, with developers who are taking advantage of landowners and investors who are not thinking outside of the box.
This is not the way the industry should be moving forward and Neutopia realized this from day one. The strategy that Neutopia employs is to get their feet on the ground and create their own projects rather than bid on public projects, and to have direct relationships for the entire value chain rather than purchase through costly distribution channels or other middle-men. This drastically lowers the cost of developing a project resulting in greater return on investment and IRR’s for our clients, our private investors, and our own investment team. Continue reading
The Monieson Centre, in conjunction with Queen’s Office of the Vice Principal (Research) and the Office of Research Services, will be bringing together academics, business leaders and members of the community for mutual benefit and to promote innovation. Neutopia has been invited to be a panelist in the “Social Leadership in Research and Business” theme, which will focus on how social leadership can play a significant role in personal and community development. This seminar looks at innovative practices and technologies that can enhance the social and economic fabric of communities.
Neutopia has created a revolutionary Social Profit business model that harnesses underutilized resources in a community and converts them into community aid, benefiting the social and economic infrastructure while creating clean energy and long-term synergistic business opportunities throughout the neighbouring regions.
The Monieson Centre, Queen’s School of Business brings leading academic research to business, government, and community audiences to create value through knowledge. The Centre focuses on research related to the knowledge economy – how to harness the expertise of individuals, organizations and communities to create knowledge capital. Neutopia will be explaining the significance of an innovative Social Profit business model in streamlining renewable energy development projects to stimulate economic and social development.
Panelists:
Dr. Tina Dacin, Queen’s School of Business
Dr. Tim Bryant, Dept Mech/Matl Eng, Queen’s University
Dr. Malcolm Peat, International Centre for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation
Mr. Robert Laporte, President and CEO, Neutopia ecoSolutions Inc.
Presentation Slides:
http://business.queensu.ca/centres/monieson/events/Presentations/Aprl%20Social%20leadership/LAPORTE.pdf
Neutopia Robert Laporte Biographical Info:
http://business.queensu.ca/centres/monieson/events/Monieson%20Idea%20bios/Apr%20-%20Social%20Leadership/LAPORTE.pdf
Neutopia ecoSOLUTIONS Inc., the world’s first Social Benefit Green Energy Company, has been recruited by the Municipality of Greenstone, Ontario. Neutopia’s role is to co-author a business attraction report with Greenstone’s Economic Development Office to present to Cliffs Natural Resources, a billion dollar mining company seeking a development site to build a ferrochrome processing facility for a chromite project in the James Bay Lowlands of northern Ontario.
Greenstone, one of the largest municipalities in Ontario, is known as the ‘Gateway to the Ring of Fire’ as it is situated south of the mining site and the ore and mining materials will be shipped right through Greenstone to reach world markets. Several cities are currently being investigated by Cliffs to locate their processing facility, with electricity availability being one of the key factors. Neutopia was asked if we could scale up our proposed ecoPARK to accommodate the energy needs of Cliffs and we immediately made this project our highest priority.
The report highlighted the potential benefits to the mining company if they would build their facility near a Neutopia ecoPARK. The report was presented to Cliffs on January 5, 2011, and resulted in a request by Cliffs to meet with Neutopia ASAP in Greenstone, successfully putting Greenstone on Cliff’s short list of potential development sites.
Neutopia ecoSOLUTIONS Inc. signed a game-changing partnership agreement to develop a 10MW solar farm in Ontario, Canada. The unique Neutopia Green Community Partnership Program™ enables landowners to become full partners in projects rather than lease their land to other developers for meager royalty payments. This Agreement is the first of its kind and may set a new standard in Community Development projects as Neutopia’s Social Benefit business model re-directs revenues right back into the community’s that host their projects.
We didn’t like the way energy and infrastructure projects were being developed… so we created a new one.
Why would a landowner ever want to lease their land when they can now form a partnership with Neutopia? We are doing our best to attract investors for projects under $5 million however for now our focus has to be on the larger projects where financing is readily available.
Our Social Benefit business model has the potential to change the way solar and wind projects are developed all over the world, for the ultimate benefit of each community that embraces these technologies.
This project, if approved by the OPA Feed-in-tariff program, is estimated to generate no less than 12,500,000kWh per year and earn more than $110 million over the 20 year Power Purchase Agreement.
While Neutopia will incorporate a solar farm at each ecoPARK being planned, some solar farms will be stand-alone projects such as Project Solar Fox:
Phase I of the project is being planned to include 500kW on each of three properties for a total of 1.5MW, followed by an expansion for phase II to complete a total of 10MW. Neutopia has exclusive rights to provide the solar farm equipment and technologies including panels, modules and racking systems.
The company issued a Request for Expressions of Interest to every solar company in Ontario and evaluated all interested parties and scored them based on price, performance history, industry reputation, and their corporate social responsibility plans. As Neutopia’s first solar project, the $40 million Cap Ex will generate significant revenue for the company and help secure their position in the province as a key player in the solar market.
Details:
- Location: Ontario, Canada
- More than 200 acres over 5 properties
- Land Classification 4 & 5
- Estimated 25 MW potential
- Phase I development = 3 properties each 500 kW
- Phase II development = up to 10MW total
- preFIT Consultation completed with Hydro One, latest report issued 09/23/11
- Estimated Revenue from electricity sales over 20 Year PPA: $110,750,000*
- Estimated Yearly Revenue: $5,537,500*
*estimates are for fixed systems; use of thin film and/or trackers will generate greater revenue
