Renewable Energy in Ontario: 16 Facts

Renewable Energy in Ontario: 16 Facts

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renewables in ontario - 15 facts and counting

Like many other Canadian provinces, Ontario is a leader in renewable energy. The province has a diverse array of renewable energy systems in place that account for more than one-third of its electricity supply, powering the lives of millions of Canadians.

Whether it is hydro, solar, wind, or biofuel, Ontario has shown exemplary leadership in renewable electricity generation time and again. For example, dozens of Ontario's hydropower facilities have been in operation for more than 100 years!

Today, Ontario’s renewable energy sector is seeing strong growth as power demand continues to rise within the province. By 2050, it expects electricity consumption to surge by 75 per cent, the equivalent of adding four and a half cities the size of Toronto to the grid.  

All Canadians should be proud of Ontario’s leadership in renewables. We certainly are, which is why we have compiled the facts on renewable energy in Ontario below. Also see:

16 Ontario Renewable Energy Facts   

Ontario was home to 97 per cent of Canada's total solar power capacity in 2019

#1 - Ontario generated 156.9 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2023, with 55.4 TWh (35%) coming from renewable sources [1]

#2 - Ontario’s renewable electricity capacity grew from 10,099 megawatts (MW) in 2010 to 17,436 MW in 2023, a 73% increase [1]

#3 - Most of Ontario’s renewable energy growth between 2010 and 2023 came from wind (4.154 MW) and solar (2,136 MW), while hydro grew by 555 MW and bioenergy by 492 MW [1]

#4 - Ontario leads Canada in the production capacity for ethanol and biodiesel, with a combined capacity of around 1.4 billion litres annually [1]

#5 - Hydro is Ontario’s largest renewable energy source, accounting for 21.4% of total installed capacity as of 2023 [1]

#6 - Ontario is making significant investments into grid-scale battery storage; by 2028, nearly 3,000 MW of new capacity is planned to come online, adding to the 272 MW already operating [1]

#7 - Ontario was home to 1,478 MW of distributed solar power capacity as of 2023 [1]

#8 - All of Ontario’s electricity needs were met by hydroelectric generation up until the late 1950s [2]

Ontario was home to 2,663 wind turbines in 2020, 40 percent of Canada's total

#9 - More than 40 of Ontario's hydropower facilities have been in operation for over 100 years [2] 

#10 - Ontario Power Generation (OPG), a crown company of the province, was generating 7,624 MW of hydro power as of September 30th, 2025, across 66 stations [5]

#11 - Ontario’s electricity demand is projected to surge by 75% by 2050, equivalent to adding four and a half cities the size of Toronto to the power grid [2]

#12 - Today, Ontario’s power grid stands as one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world [5]

#13 - Ontario was home to 34.7% of Canada’s cleantech companies in 2025, leading all provinces [6]

#14 - Ontario is Canada’s largest wind-power province, with 5,532 MW of wind capacity as of 2023 [6]

#15 - Ontario is also home to 8 of Canada’s 16 largest solar projects, with the other 8 located in Alberta [6]

#16 - The majority of Canada’s liquid biofuel facilities are currently situated in southern Ontario and Saskatchewan [6]

Hydrpower accounted for 24 per cent of Ontario's power production in 2019

The Future of Ontario Renewables

Renewable energy growth in Ontario is reflected in the province’s goals for increasing its wind, solar, and biofuel capacities. Some major battery storage initiatives in Ontario that have either recently come online or are anticipated to move forward between 2025 and 2030 include (but are not limited to):

  • Skyview 2 Battery Energy Storage Project – A large-scale battery installation in partnership with First Nations, expected to provide approximately 390 MW of additional storage capacity by 2026.
  • Hagersville Battery Energy Storage Park – A battery storage complex underway in partnership with Indigenous communities, projected to supply about 285 MW of storage capability in Southern Ontario by 2026.
  • Napanee Energy Storage – A proposed battery facility, aiming to contribute 250 MW of new energy storage capacity by 2026.
  • South March BESS – A battery storage project near Ottawa in partnership with First Nations, targeting an additional 250 MW of storage capacity by 2027.

Ontario has also launched significant plans to use all energy resources to ensure energy security for the province. Energy for Generations aims to meet rapidly growing demand with a diverse array of supplies, including nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, and natural gas, creating good-paying jobs while underpinning the needs of homeowners, businesses, and industrial manufacturers provincewide [4].

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Renewables Infographics - Canada Action

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SOURCES:

1 - https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-commodities/electricity/report/canadas-renewable-power/provinces/renewable-power-canada-ontario.html

2 - https://www.owa.ca/education/fast-facts/

3 - https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005215/ontario-ready-to-meet-the-challenge-of-soaring-energy-demand

4 - https://www.ontario.ca/page/energy-generations

5 - https://www.opg.com/power-generation/our-power/

6 - https://energy-information.canada.ca/sites/default/files/2025-11/energy-fact-book-2025-2026.pdf