Ontario to import U.S. electricity this winter, weeks after Ford threatened to cut power exports

Province's electricity operator signs 6-month contract with U.S.-based Alpha Generation

Ontario set to import New York electricity this winter after Ford threatened to cut the U.S. off

Ontario will import power from the United States this winter, the province's electricity operator has announced, just weeks after Premier Doug Ford threatened to cut exports to the U.S. amid the ongoing trade war.

The contract will help secure additional short-term capacity for the winter, while "facility maintenance" takes place, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) said in an Oct. 1 news release about the deal.

The six month contract with U.S. based Alpha Generation for 600 megawatts will start on Nov. 1, IESO said.

While IESO did not detail the maintenance work taking place, the province began a multi-year refurbishment project at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station in September.

The contract undercuts recent statements by the Ford government, according to Lewis Krashinsky, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University who studies U.S.-Canada politics.

"For all the tough talk, I think it doesn't look at all that good for Doug Ford," he said.

Ontario is exporting seven time more electricity to neighbouring jurisdictions than it did in 2025, said the IESO in an emailed statement. (Colin Butler/CBC)

IESO is an independent body that monitors the province's electric grid and is not associated with the provincial government. Despite that, Krashinsky said the contract will "undercut" Ford's position on using electricity as a bargaining chip with the U.S.

In August, Ford said he was willing to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the U.S. as the trade war drags on. Ontario sends power to about 1.5 million people in Michigan, New York and Minnesota.

"The best [Ford] can hope for is that this story doesn't hit too many American outlets," Krashinsky said.

"[If it reaches] the ears of senior American leaders, they're going to just say, 'Great, we're canceling this contract or we're not taking you seriously, because you still need our energy too.'"

Contract part of 'normal' planning: IESO

Despite the new contract, Ontario is a "net-exporter of power," IESO said in an emailed statement Friday. IESO's mandate is to ensure a reliable and affordable supply of electricity for Ontarians, it said.

Ontario is exporting seven times more electricity to neighbouring jurisdictions, such as Quebec and New York, than it imported in 2025, IESO said.

The Alpha Generation contract is a part of "normal system planning" to secure additional short-term capacity as a way to manage "system-wide maintenance needs" and to cover peak demand over the winter months, IESO said.

CBC News asked Alpha Generation for more information on the deal.

The province did not respond Friday to questions on the contract, referring CBC News to IESO.

This Pickering, Ont., nuclear plant is getting a revamp

Province needs to invest in clean energy: expert

The province could have avoided importing electricity from the U.S. entirely by shifting to clean energy sources over the past few years, said Keith Brooks, programs director of advocacy group Environmental Defence Canada.

The Ford government cancelled several clean energy projects and removed the requirement to create a long-term energy plan when they first came into power, Brooks said.

"The government has mismanaged this file," he said, adding the province has become overly reliant on nuclear and gas systems that are expensive to maintain and have remained active "much longer than originally intended."

"The reality is we've been burning more and more gas in Ontario because we haven't been building clean energy," he added.

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Ford's threats on withholding energy are "idle," Brooks said, given the U.S. provides most of the gas Ontario uses for power.

"[The U.S.] could have shut off the gas, which meant we couldn't even turn our own lights on, let alone sell electricity to them," he said.

The solution is to invest in clean energy, including wind and solar, Brooks said.

Homegrown clean energy wins "hands down," he said.

"We don't need to rely upon the US to give us the gas nor the electricity. We can generate it here ourselves."

Arrthy Thayaparan is a writer at CBC Toronto with interests in health, climate, education and community stories. You can contact her at arrthy.thayaparan@cbc.ca.

With files from Gabriela Silva Ponte and Lorenda Reddekopp