Ontario faces a major challenge – to ensure a reliable, sustainable, long-term supply of electricity. Today, about 37 percent of Ontario’s electricity is supplied by nuclear power, 21 percent by coal-fired generating facilities, 16 percent by oil- and natural gas-fired generation and 26 percent by renewable sources, primarily hydroelectric generation.

Within the next 20 years, however, nearly 80 percent of the province’s existing generating capacity will need to be replaced. This is because of expected population and economic growth, the need to replace nuclear facilities nearing the end of their service lives, and the need to eliminate environmentally harmful coal-fired generation. Strong progress in energy conservation will make an important contribution, but the supply challenge remains formidable.

As part of the long-range plan to meet this challenge, the amount of electricity generated from renewable energy sources – wind power, waterpower, solar photovoltaic (PV) installations and biomass energy from agricultural and waste material – will double from about 7,500 megawatts (MW) today to about 15,000 MW by 2025. In addition, electricity generation from clean-burning natural gas will increase from around 5,000 MW today to more than 10,000 MW by 2025.

The Ontario Power Authority has a number of procurement programs and initiatives underway to help achieve these goals:

• Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program
• Northern Hydroelectric Initiative
• Renewable Energy Supply III
• Clean Energy Standard Offer Program
• Combined Heat and Power II
• Combined Heat and Power III

This brochure introduces the opportunities offered or planned by the OPA. Additional details can be found at www.powerauthority.on.ca/gp.