Ontario's FIT program Credited with Incentivizing Freer Trade

For the Silver Lining Chasers, a story on the World Trade Organization proceedings regarding handful of jurisdictions (Japan, the EU, the USA) challenging Ontario's green energy policies.

An audience with the WTO: Canada responds to allegations from Japan and the EU | PV-Tech:

"Canada’s response to the accusations has now been heard. Ontario countered that because an FiT programme is a form of governmental procurement to ensure affordable clean energy generation, it is therefore exempt from international agreements. "

Skipping the details related to that, the rebuttal (also skipping most of the details is):

This discriminatory measure is designed to promote the production of renewable energy generation equipment in Ontario rather than to promote the generation of renewable energy

In working together in arguing for these proceeding, the EU and Japan re-discovered the precept that protectionism is bad and trade is good.  The article, about the complaint against Ontario's GEA, ends with:

Japan and the EU’s partnership has resulted in negotiations on a free trade agreement between the two nations... Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Italian counterpart Mario Monti told reporters on Wednesday that, “the two countries face very similar economic challenges and that carrying out fiscal reconstruction and generating growth are both vital.”

The full article is available at the PV-tech site