Demand for electricity in Toronto could grow dramatically by 2044 — driven by rapid economic and population growth
Current Status
Scoping the needs: 2024
Developing solutions: 2025
Making recommendations: 2025
Upcoming Events:
Options Screening Webinar – July, date to be announced
Options Evaluation and Draft Recommendations Webinar – September, date to be announced
Sign up below for updates.
Toronto is its own planning region and relies on significant amounts of electricity delivered from across the province, with transmission corridors serving the city as well as one large generator – the Portlands Energy Centre.
As the city grows, demand for electricity could increase dramatically by 2044, which is much faster than other parts of the province.
With input from stakeholders, Indigenous communities and municipalities, the IESO has a planning process underway that will result in a series of options to both meet growing needs and upgrade Toronto’s electricity infrastructure.
The plan will also consider the city’s economic and community development plans, some of which we heard through feedback from our engagement sessions. These development plans include the pockets of growth in Downsview, the Golden Mile and the Port Lands, as well as TransformTO, the City of Toronto’s net zero strategy.
And finally, it will assess the impact of reducing reliance on Portlands Energy Centre, which serves 12 per cent of the city’s power needs during hot summer days and also serves broader GTA. Portlands is the only main source of supply in Toronto itself, ramping production up and down to meet changes in energy consumption. It can also restore local power supply in the event of a wide-scale power outage. Today, the number of options available to reducing the reliance on Portlands is limited by the capacity of existing transmission infrastructure.
The IESO is working with Hydro One and Toronto Hydro, with feedback from communities and stakeholders, to develop recommendations that address the specific needs of the city. These options could include building or upgrading transmission infrastructure and launching more energy-efficiency programs targeted to Toronto electricity consumers.
IESO Evaluating Three Transmission Options
In order to maintain reliability in the Toronto area, reducing reliance on the Portlands Energy Centre will require bringing more electricity from outside the city into the downtown core. The Ontario Ministry of Energy and Mines has asked the IESO to accelerate its analysis of three transmission options that are currently under consideration in the planning process.
Overground via Leaside
Expand the Leaside Transmission Station and the supply lines feeding into it. New supply lines could be needed to bring this additional power into downtown.
Overground via Warden
Expand the Hearn Switching Station and build new transmission lines from the east into Scarborough via Warden TS and then onto Hearn, possibly underground.
Underwater
Expand the Hearn Switching Station and supply it with new lines travelling under Lake Ontario from large generators outside the city.
Phase 1 - Understand Future Needs
The IESO has assessed Toronto’s electricity needs over the long term. A demand forecast for the city has been developed, showing that electricity use could double over the next 20 years.
It is also focusing on specific areas of the grid that need upgrades, such as the existing transmission corridors in Etobicoke, where transmission infrastructure near the Kipling TTC station brings electricity in from the west of the province, as well as in Leaside and the Finch corridors, among others.
The IESO has also launched a study into the potential contribution for additional energy efficiency and local generation to reduce the amount of electricity needed from the provincial grid. This research will inform the solutions that will be proposed later in the process.
And finally, the assessment is looking at the impact of reducing reliance on the Portlands Energy Centre given its pivotal role in maintaining reliability in Toronto and surrounding areas.
Phase 2 - Develop Solutions
With Toronto’s needs understood, the IESO is developing potential solutions to address those needs. Solutions are evaluated based on the type of need and criteria such as technical feasibility and cost effectiveness.
Phase 3 - Make Recommendations (2025)
The IESO will publish a final report identifying specific priorities and actions. From there, implementation planning would begin for infrastructure projects and program development.
The IESO is committed to providing opportunities for Torontonians and others to learn more and get involved.
You can stay informed about the progress of this plan and participate in discussions on the IESO website, which offers detailed planning documents, videos of webinar sessions, and other information, including:
- Reliability in Toronto: A backgrounder providing an overview of Toronto’s electricity needs.
- Toronto Electricity Plan: Detailed information and updates about the IESO’s planning process for the city of Toronto. Here you can subscribe for updates and learn more about the IESO’s webinars and feedback process.
- Presentation (December 5) on electricity demand forecasts for Toronto and how they impact future system needs. Feedback on the webinar is also posted on the IESO website.
Learn more about Energy Efficiency
As the electricity system operator, the IESO also relies on conservation to help manage the grid and includes energy-efficiency targets in its planning.
Through Save on Energy, it currently offers two programs in north Etobicoke that help alleviate electricity demand while upgrades to the local grid take place. CoolSaver offers incentives to residential customers living in Richview South for air conditioner tune-ups and replacements, dehumidifiers and smart thermostats. In the same area, Biz Energy Saver offers incentives to businesses and building owners for energy-saving upgrades.
Torontonians can also take advantage of Peak Perks, which rewards homeowners who have smart thermostats for reducing their energy during peak summer days.
For more information about energy efficiency incentives in Ontario, visit www.saveonenergy.ca
We'd like to know your thoughts about GTA’s future electricity needs.
Learn more
If you live or work in the GTA, the IESO offers more information about the region’s electricity needs. Learn more about the IESO’s planning process.