TORONTO — The provincial government plans to request bids from developers for up to 5,000 megawatts of additional electricity under a plan that includes promoting new energy projects in Northern Ontario.
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce said Wednesday that by 2050 the province will need at least 60 per cent more energy than it currently produces on account of population growth and to facilitate the electrification of industry, power electric vehicles, and support the growth of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The new procurement will include a variety of power sources including hydroelectric, biomass, natural gas, renewables and nuclear.
Lecce said the government intends to protect agricultural areas by prohibiting projects where specialty crops are grown, and by banning ground-mounted solar panels on prime farmland.
Developers will also be required to receive resolutions of support from local municipalities.
In Northern Ontario, the government proposes to incentivize energy projects and develop a plan "to unlock Crown lands" for renewable energy.
It also intends to incentivize economic opportunities for projects with or by Indigenous communities on whose traditional territory the projects are proposed.
There was no reference to specific locations in Wednesday's announcement, but a report delivered to the government in late 2022 by Ontario Power Generation said new hydroelectric stations are required in Northern Ontario, including an 80-megawatt station on the Little Jackfish River.
It would produce three times as much power as the Kakabeka Falls generating station.
The project has been under discussion for years, and although there has been no construction, the OPG report described it as the most advanced medium-scale hydroelectric project anywhere in Northern Ontario.
According to Wednesday's announcement, the Independent Electricity System Operator is expected to report back to the government next month with a framework for the procurement strategy.
Procurements would be expected to be concluded by February 2026.
"The accelerated timelines will ensure that Ontario can continue to support large-scale investments that require a clean and reliable energy supply to create well-paying jobs across the province," the government stated in a news release.
