The province of Ontario and IESO are making big moves to plan for future energy needs. The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is known as the head of Ontario’s electricity market, responsible for preparing procurements based on the province’s energy forecasts.
IESO has officially secured 13 energy procurements, the most in over a decade totalling 2,195 MW of additional clean energy capacity for Ontario as part of their Long-Term 1 (LT1) plan. LT1 represents the province’s commitment to procuring long-term clean energy solutions over the next decade. The projects are expected to start servicing Ontario between 2026 and 2028 to keep up with the province’s growing energy needs.
LT1 is just the first phase of Powering Ontario’s Growth plan, meant to ensure Ontario finds clean solutions to meet high demands. A second phase will open up soon to tackle estimated energy requirements in the early 2030s.
The procurements include 10 storage facilities and 3 non-storage facilities. The focus on storage emphasizes creating flexible power options, especially during peak hours. The batteries will charge during non-peak hours and then distribute electricity when demand is high.
The 10 new clean energy storage systems add up to 1,784 MW of capacity. The 3 non-storage facilities contribute a total of 410.69 MW of new capacity.
The successful execution of the first phase solidifies Ontario as the battery storage powerhouse of Canada.
Powering Ontario’s Future With Solar Energy
The next phase resolves to continue LT1’s trajectory as 2034 projections suggest a necessary capacity growth of about 5300 MW.
The projects will focus on renewable energy streams such as solar and wind—for a total 2000 MW target by 2030.
As Ontario shifts the future of its energy sector to renewables, the province is expected to push for more large-scale solar installations in the coming years. This likely means a massive expansion, specifically for commercial solar projects. We look forward to the accelerated inclusion of solar energy in the next phase of Ontario’s growth plan.
