OPG marks 10 years since the closure of its last coal-fired station
At a glance
- In April, OPG marks the 10-year anniversary of the closure of its coal generating fleet in Ontario.
- Coal closure led to significantly cleaner air and transformed Ontario’s grid into one of the cleanest in the world.
- Since then, OPG has been hard at work to build Ontario’s clean energy future and electrify life with new low-carbon technologies and investments.
Ten years ago, OPG delivered one of the world’s single-largest actions to combat climate change to date.
In April 2014, the company burned its last piece of coal to generate power with the closure of its Thunder Bay Generating Station (GS), making Ontario the first jurisdiction in North America to remove coal entirely from its electricity system.
This culminated a multi-year effort to phase out coal-fired electricity in the province, a process that began in 2003, when coal-powered generation represented about 25% of Ontario’s electricity supply.
Did you know? Replacing coal in Ontario would not have been possible without nuclear and hydroelectric power – the province’s clean and reliable energy workhorses, which will continue to play an important role in decarbonizing the broader economy through electrification.
As will natural gas generation. Significantly cleaner than coal, natural gas will be needed to meet the growing demand and protect system reliability while new clean generation is developed and existing assets are refurbished. Even with the supporting role of gas, Ontario’s grid stands as one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world.
Phasing out coal from our fleet was a complex and difficult task to accomplish. But nothing worth doing is easy, and this was no exception. Ultimately, it was a necessary and important step to building a cleaner electricity system for all Ontarians.Ken HartwickPresident and CEO, OPG
The end of coal had an immediate positive impact, reducing provincial greenhouse gas emissions by about 17% – the equivalent of taking seven million cars off the road.
“Phasing out coal from our fleet was a complex and difficult task to accomplish. But nothing worth doing is easy, and this was no exception,” said Ken Hartwick, OPG’s President and CEO. “Ultimately, it was a necessary and important step to building a cleaner electricity system for all Ontarians.”
We’re just getting started
A decade on, OPG continues to lead the way to building a cleaner future.
The company is investing in its diverse generating fleet, which meets about half of Ontario’s energy needs, and advancing new, low-carbon energy technologies, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These efforts are helping to fulfill OPG’s vision of electrifying life in one generation and the company’s ambitious net-zero goals.
Since coal closure, OPG has marked several other clean energy milestones:
- In 2016, we started the Darlington Nuclear Refurbishment project, which remains on track to be completed by 2026 and will provide 30-plus more years of clean, reliable power.
- In 2017, we put into service the Peter Sutherland Sr. Hydroelectric GS in northeast Ontario, in partnership with the Taykwa Tagamou Nation.
- In 2023, we announced our plan to deploy North America’s first fleet of low-carbon SMRs at our Darlington Nuclear site.
- And, later that year, Ontario gave the go-ahead to start the initial planning for the Pickering Nuclear refurbishment.
Over the years, OPG has also helped plant more than 9 million native trees and shrubs, helping ensure a healthier environment and the protection of Ontario’s rich biodiversity for generations to come. And through its subsidiaries, OPG is developing the province’s hydrogen economy and actively supporting the electrification of transportation, now Ontario’s largest source of carbon emissions.
Ontarians can be proud that we have some of the cleanest and most reliable power in the world. We’re just getting started as we work to electrify life in one generation.
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