With a deregulated energy market, in which Ontarians can choose who provides them with electricity and natural gas, the local hydro utilities and distribution companies still play a big part in the province.
According to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), fewer than 1 in 10 customers in Ontario buy their electricity from a competitive electricity retailer. This means the vast majority of energy consumers in Ontario get their electricity from the default regulated provider in their area.
Local Electricity Utilities in Ontario
There are currently 60 LDCs operating across Ontario delivering electricity to more than five million residential, business, industrial, and institutional customers across the province.
It is important to highlight that local distribution rates (delivery charges) are approved by The Ontario Energy Board (OEB), and rates can only be changed with approval from the OEB.
- Alectra Utilities Corporation – Mississauga, Hamilton and St. Catharines, Brampton, Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Beeton, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Penetanguishene, Markham, Richmond Hill, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan
- Algoma Power Inc. – Algoma
- Atikokan Hydro Inc. – Atikokan
- Attawapiskat Power Corporation – Attawapiskat First Nation
- Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation – Sarnia, Point Edward, Petrolia, Alvinston, Oil Springs and Watford
- Burlington Hydro Inc. – Burlington
- Canadian Niagara Power Inc. – Fort Erie and Port Colborne
- Centre Wellington Hydro Ltd. – Elora and Fergus
- Chapleau Public Utilities Corporation – Chapleau Township
- Cooperative Hydro Embrun Inc. – Embrun
- Cornwall Street Railway Light and Power Company Limited – Cornwall, South Glengarry, South Stormont, and the Ontario portion of the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne
- Elexicon Energy Inc. – Ajax, Beaverton, Belleville, Bowmanville, Cannington, Gravenhurst, Newcastle, Orono, Pickering, Port Hope, Port Perry, Sunderland and Uxbridge, Whitby, Brooklin and Ashburn
- E.L.K. Energy Inc. – Essex, Harrow, Belle River, Comber, Kingsville and Cottham
- Entegrus Powerlines Inc. – Parkhill, Strathroy, Mount Brydges, Newbury, Dutton, Wallaceburg, Dresden, Bothwell, Thamesville, Ridgetown, Chatham-Kent, Blenheim, Merlin, Tilbury, Wheatley, Erieau, St. Thomas
- ENWIN Utilities Ltd. – Windsor
- EPCOR Electricity Distribution Ontario Inc. – Collingwood, Stayner, Creemore and Thornbury
- ERTH Power Corporation – Aylmer, Belmont, Burgessville, Beachville, Clinton, Embro, Goderich, Ingersoll, Otterville, Port Stanley, Norwich, Tavistock and Thamesford, West Perth
- Espanola Regional Hydro Distribution Corporation – Espanola, Webbwood and Massey
- Essex Powerlines Corporation – Amherstburg, LaSalle, Leamington and Tecumseh
- Festival Hydro Inc. – Stratford, St. Mary’s, Seaforth, Hensall, Brussels, Zurich and Dashwood
- Fort Albany Power Corporation – Fort Albany First Nation
- Fort Frances Power Corporation – Fort Frances
- GrandBridge Energy – Brantford, Cambridge, Brant County and North Dumfries
- Greater Sudbury Hydro Inc. – Greater Sudbury and the Municipality of West Nipissing
- Grimsby Power Inc. – Grimsby
- Guelph Hydro – Guelph and Rockwood
- Halton Hills Hydro Inc. – Halton Hills
- Hearst Power Distribution Company Limited – Hearst
- Hydro 2000 Inc. – Alfred and Village of Plantagenet
- Hydro Hawkesbury Inc./Hawkesbury Hydro Inc – Hawkesbury
- Hydro One Networks Inc./Cat Lake Power Community – Most of rural Ontario, including Norfolk, Cat Lake Community and Haldimand County
- Hydro One Remote Communities Inc. – 19 Communities not connected to the grid
- Hydro Ottawa Limited – Ottawa and Casselman
- InnPower Corporation – Innisfil and South Barrie
- Kashechewan Power Corporation – Kashechewan First Nation
- Kingston Hydro Corporation – Kingston
- Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro Inc. – Kitchener and Wilmot
- Lakefront Utilities Inc. – Cobourg
- Lakeland Power Distribution Ltd. – Bracebridge, Burk’s Falls, Huntsville, Magnetawan and Sundridge
- London Hydro Inc. – London
- Milton Hydro Distribution Inc. – Milton
- Newmarket-Tay Power Distribution Ltd. – Newmarket, Tay Township and Midland
- Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro Inc. – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Virgil, Glendale, St. Davids and Queenston
- Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc. – Niagara Falls, Lincoln, Pelham and West Lincoln
- North Bay Hydro Distribution Limited – North Bay
- Northern Ontario Wires Inc. – Cochrane, Iroquois Falls and Kapuskasing
- Oakville Hydro Electricity Distribution Inc. – Oakville
- Orangeville Hydro Limited – Orangeville and Grand Valley
- Oshawa PUC Networks Inc. – Oshawa
- Ottawa River Power Corporation – Almonte, Beachburg, Killaloe and Pembroke
- PUC Distribution Inc. – Sault Ste. Marie
- Renfrew Hydro Inc. – Renfrew
- Rideau St. Lawrence Distribution Inc. – Westport, Prescott, Cardinal, Iroquois, Morrisburg and Williamsburg
- Sioux Lookout Hydro Inc. – Sioux Lookout and Hudson
- Synergy North Corporation – Kenora, Thunder Bay
- Tillsonburg Hydro Inc. – Tillsonburg
- Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited – Toronto
- Wasaga Distribution Inc. – Wasaga Beach
- Wataynikaneyap Power GP Inc. on behalf of Wataynikaneyap Power LP – 32 remote communities in Northwestern Ontario
- Waterloo North Hydro Inc. – Waterloo, Township of Woolwich and Township of Wellesley
- Welland Hydro-Electric System Corp – Welland
- Wellington North Power Inc. – Holstein, Mount Forest and Arthur
- Westario Power Inc. – Hanover, Huron-Kinloss, Kincardine, Saugeen Shores, South Bruce, Wingham, Brockton and Minto
Hydroelectricity Stats in Ontario
- Ontario has over 200 hydroelectricity generation facilities with a total capacity of 9,160 MW.
- Ontario leads Canada in wind capacity. About 5,060 MW of wind capacity was added between 2005 and 2019.
- Ontario had about 97% of Canada’s solar capacity in 2019, with 2,670 MW installed.
- Ontario has the largest 100% biomass-fueled plant in North America. The 205 MW Atikokan Generating Station was converted from coal in 2014.
- Ontario and Alberta are the only jurisdictions that have competitive generation and retail markets for electricity.
- Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is the largest utility in Ontario’s competitive electricity market, with over 1,600 MW of capacity.
- The province is the second largest producer of electricity in Canada and has an estimated generating capacity of 40,200 megawatts (MW).
Five largest utilities in Ontario
Hydro One, Alectra Utilities, Elexicon Energy, Hydro Ottawa and Toronto Hydro are the five largest utilities in Ontario. For a map of Ontario’s local distribution companies, visit the Ontario Electricity Map.
Sources:
CER – Provincial and Territorial Energy Profiles – Ontario (cer-rec.gc.ca)
Ontario’s Local Hydro Utilities (eda-on.ca)
