Ontario imports U.S. electricity as Pickering shutdown reshapes winter power grid

Ontario will import 600 megawatts of electricity from a U.S. fossil-fuel operator through the winter months starting Nov. 1, offsetting a production shortfall created by the Pickering nuclear plant's September shutdown for multi-year refurbishment.

The Independent Electricity System Operator signed the contract with Alpha Generation, which runs coal and gas plants in the U.S. northeast and California. The move creates an irony: Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly threatened to cut off electricity exports to the U.S. as trade-war retaliation, imposing a 25 per cent tax on power exports in March 2025 (then lifting it the next day) and threatening fresh surcharges as recently as August.

Jack Gibbons, chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance and former Toronto Hydro commissioner, characterized the decision as a strategic vulnerability. "This deal just increases our dependency on Donald Trump's America to keep our lights on," he said. "It means more pollution, higher electricity bills and it means that we're more vulnerable to attack." He added: "If he was to cut off those electricity exports, potentially the lights could go out in Ontario."

The IESO said the contract was the "only viable alternative" to secure capacity through peak winter demand and facility maintenance. Ontario exported nearly seven times more electricity than it imported in 2025, the system operator noted. A spokesperson said the arrangement "provides additional safeguards through the winter months" and reflects "normal system planning" between neighbouring jurisdictions.

The deal arrives as Ontario's electricity rebate shrinks. The rebate, which currently covers 23.5 per cent of consumer bills, drops to 15.7 per cent starting in November—roughly a one-third cut. An average household could see a $12 monthly increase from the rebate reduction alone.