This Earth Day, we’re reflecting on how far Ontario has come and what lies ahead for our community.

In 2014, Ontario reached a major environmental milestone by completely phasing out coal-fired power plants. Just over ten years later, local utilities like Oshawa Power are proud to deliver some of the cleanest electricity anywhere in the world, generated primarily by nuclear, hydro, and renewable energy sources.

With Ontario’s electricity mix nearly 90 percent emissions-free, each time you switch on a light, charge your electric vehicle, or run your dryer, you’re contributing to a healthier environment.

As our industry continues to distribute cleaner electricity to homes and businesses across Ontario, we know that you will look to us to be leaders in sustainability. At Oshawa Power, we understand the role we play in the energy transition and are taking steps to showcase how we can all take steps to create a more sustainable tomorrow.

Our Sustainability Journey

Oshawa Power President & CEO, Daniel Arbour, recently had the opportunity to dive deeper into these topics on Mayor Dan Carter’s Real Talk podcast. This thoughtful conversation examines Oshawa’s sustainability journey, the role of local utilities, and how we’re preparing for the future of energy. You can listen to the full episode below:

For more than a decade, we have pursued and participated in programs that showcase innovation, promote sustainable choices, and help make Oshawa Power a more sustainable organization.

In 2024, we achieved some significant milestones in reducing our own environmental impact:

• We reduced emissions from our facilities by nearly 40 percent compared to 2023.
• We cut fleet emissions by 11.5 percent, thanks partly to the introduction of our first four hybrid pickup trucks. This marks the beginning of our transition to a fully hybrid light-duty fleet by 2030.

We’re also supporting cleaner transportation throughout Oshawa:

• We have installed and continue to manage a network of public electric vehicle chargers in Oshawa’s downtown area, making it easier than ever to go electric.
• We’ve expanded infrastructure to support Durham Region Transit’s new electric bus depot, where the first six electric buses have already hit the road.
• Additional infrastructure upgrades are being planned to support the Metrolinx expansion project, enabling more sustainable public transportation.
• And the shift to electric vehicles is gaining momentum: in Q1 2022, there were 631 registered EVs on the road in Oshawa. As of Q1 2025, that number has surged to 2,313, marking a 266% increase in just three years. We’re proud to support this growing adoption with the infrastructure and grid planning it requires.

Our partnerships in the community have been essential too. We collaborated with the City of Oshawa to create their Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, designed to set clear targets and practical actions to significantly reduce emissions across the community. This plan helps Oshawa move towards a cleaner, healthier future by addressing sources of greenhouse gases, from transportation to energy use in homes and businesses.

Additionally, several local apartment buildings have transitioned to suite-level metering. This solution empowers tenants in multi-residential buildings to control their energy costs, encourages greater energy awareness, and contributes to substantial reductions in the overall energy intensity of these buildings.

Building the Grid of the Future

Our efforts go beyond just reducing emissions. We’re actively preparing the electricity grid to handle increased electrification from increases in EV and heat pump adoption, ensuring our system remains reliable and efficient:

• In 2024, we completed our EV Disaggregation Pilot Project, helping us better understand electric vehicle charging habits. We’ll be sharing detailed results and insights from this project on our website in the coming months. This information will help us better understand community charging habits, allowing us to design smarter solutions for electric vehicle adoption and grid management.
• We received approval to act as Distribution System Operator for two innovative pilot projects:
• Optimizing energy use at Durham Region’s long-term care homes.
• Testing managed charging solutions for electric vehicles at homes, multi-unit residential buildings, and public locations.

• We’re pursuing funding to develop our own managed charging solution, helping our customers save energy and reduce costs.
• In 2025, we’ll return to the Save On Energy program, providing valuable incentives for households and businesses looking to save on energy efficient upgrades.

Looking Ahead

We have exciting plans on the horizon. In 2027, we’ll move into our new headquarters, designed to be energy-efficient, sustainable, and environmentally responsible. We’ve also committed to publishing our first formal ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) report by 2027, increasing transparency around our sustainability efforts.

Many of you have expressed strong support for sustainability initiatives through your feedback and comments across our 2024 Customer Priority and Customer Engagement surveys, reinforcing our commitment to this important work.

Thank You, Oshawa

This Earth Day, we extend our gratitude to you, our customers, for supporting our shared vision for a cleaner, more sustainable future. Your support and participation help drive everything we do.

Together, we’ve accomplished a lot. But we’re just getting started.

Happy Earth Day from all of us at Oshawa Power!