Electricity is the lifeblood of Ontario's economy, and an almost indispensable part of every day life in our province. As Ontarians continue to make more climate-conscious choices and industries invest in innovation to reduce emissions, access to one of the world’s cleanest electricity systems ensures we have a flexible, reliable and clean energy source to achieve our collective efforts to combat climate change. Learn more about how one of the world’s cleanest electricity grids will help grow our green economy and achieve our net-zero emissions goals.
Did you know that, according to the Institute for Sustainable Development, the single largest greenhouse gases (GHG) reduction measure in the world can be attributed to the elimination of coal-fired electricity generation in Ontario, accounting for the removal of nearly 34 million tonnes of GHG, or the equivalent of taking over 9.4 million cars off the road.
Today, clean, efficient and reliable energy from Ontario’s nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, natural gas, wind and solar generation means our system is 94 per cent emissions free. That's a significant advantage in our collective fight against climate change. Not only will it maximize the impact of the climate-conscious decisions Ontarians make everyday, but it will also help emissions-intense sectors of the economy to decarbonize so we can meet our net-zero emissions goals. See how below.
“Ontario has one of the cleanest systems in the world when it comes to carbon emissions per kilowatt-hour – 93% and 92% lower than the U.S. and German grids respectively, and 81% lower than the rest of Canada.”
- Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO),
Report on Decarbonization and Ontario's Electricity System
Between 2005 and 2018, Ontario’s electricity system carbon emissions were reduced by 90 per cent. Today, Ontario’s electricity system is 94 per cent emissions free and has one of the lowest carbon intensity rates in the world.
Ontario also leads almost every state in the U.S. Even high renewables states like California have much higher electricity CO2 intensity than Ontario.
In fact, Ontario has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world, accounting for just 3% of our province's total GHG emissions.
Making significant progress towards reducing Ontario’s overall carbon emissions means reducing emissions across ALL economic sectors, including the industrial, transportation and building sectors, which together, accounted for 87 per cent of our province’s total GHG emissions in 2018. See how access to one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world will help drive economy-wide decarbonization and maximize the impact of climate-conscious choices Ontarians make every day.
Choosing electric vehicles is a critical way consumers can support a cleaner climate. The energy mix used to power those vehicles matters.
View thisSee how Ontario businesses are leveraging innovation and one of the world’s cleanest electricity grids to electrify their operations and reduce emissions.
View thisAs Ontarians continue to make more climate-conscious choices and industries invest in innovation to help reduce emissions, demand for clean energy will only increase. The diverse supply mix that powers our province ensures companies and consumers will always have access to the clean and reliable electricity we need to accelerate our collective climate change efforts. Learn more about the role a diverse supply mix plays in securing our clean energy future or explore the resources, reports and FAQs below to see how clean, #MadeInOntario energy will grow our clean economy and help our province achieve its net-zero emissions goals.
Learn more about just how clean our electricity system is and how it will help achieve net-zero goals.
Get answers to frequently asked questions about our clean electricity system and how it works in Ontario.
Learn more about what our sector is doing to support a more sustainable energy future.
Sign up and show your support for a clean, #MadeInOntario electricity system that will power our province towards a cleaner economy and maximize the climate-conscious decisions Ontarians make every day.