The new contracts deliver a 21% cost reduction compared with previous large-scale renewable agreements.

Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has signed 20-year agreements for 14 renewable energy projects through its Long-Term 2 – Energy Stream 1 Request for Proposals (LT2(e-1) RFP), aiming to introduce more than three terawatt-hours of electricity supply annually.

The selection comprises 12 solar projects and two wind projects, all designed to meet the growing energy demands projected for the early 2030s in Ontario.

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The newly secured contracts were awarded through competitive bidding, enabling the IESO to obtain these resources at a cost 21% lower than previous large-scale renewable contracts in the region.

Indigenous communities play a prominent role, with each of the 14 projects involving at least 50% indigenous equity ownership.

Additionally, projects located within municipalities received Municipal Support Confirmations, demonstrating local community engagement from the proposal stage onward.

The projects include the 15.75MW Chatsworth Solar Project in the Township of Chatsworth; the 167.2MW CarbonFree Fort Frances Project in the unincorporated territory of the Rainy River District; the 154MW CarbonFree Kynoch Project in Iron Bridge, Algoma District; the 60MW CarbonFree Rainy River Project in the Township of Chapple; and the 200MW Dunns Valley Solar Project in Searchmont on Crown land.

The projects also include the 19.2MW Elmbrook Agrivoltaics Project in Picton, Prince Edward County; the 57.2MW Fort Frances Solar Project in the Town of Fort Frances; and the Gichigami Wind Project in Nipigon on Crown land, which will generate wind power with a capacity of 200MW.

The projects also include the 9MW Golden Leaf Agrivoltaics facility in Perth and the 17.6MW Cedar Agrivoltaics site in Hanover. The Massey Solar Project in the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers has a capacity of 141.25MW and Paradis Bay Solar in North Cobalt adds 50MW.

In addition, the Northern Breeze Wind Project in the Thunder Bay area provides 200MW of wind capacity, while the Timmins Mountjoy Solar Project in the City of Timmins contributes a further 23.9MW.

The LT2(e-1) marks the first extensive undertaking for large-scale renewable developments in the country for more than ten years.

The outcomes from the initial phase of the LT2 capacity stream are anticipated in June. Additionally, three more LT2 phases are scheduled, making it the most extensive electricity procurement effort in Ontario’s history.

As demand surges and the energy landscape evolves, the IESO’s procurement efforts continue to focus on ensuring that future energy and capacity needs are met.

Planning forecasts indicate that the new energy and capacity needs will emerge beyond 2029, and the IESO will continue its series of RFP submission windows to meet these demands.