Ontario will import 600 MW of U.S. power this winter. What it means in nuclear-heavy Grey-Bruce

Ontario will buy 600 megawatts of electricity capacity from a U.S. power company this winter, the province's grid operator has confirmed.

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) said in an Oct. 1 notice that it "has secured a 6-month commitment for an additional 600 MW of capacity for this upcoming winter period beginning November 1, 2026." The IESO said the capacity "has been acquired as a firm import from Alpha Generation, a past Capacity Auction participant."

The IESO said it is taking the step "in response to facility maintenance recently requested to start this upcoming winter period through 2027 and 2028," to "allow for required infrastructure maintenance and ensure system reliability." The notice does not say which facilities are being maintained, what the contract costs, or which plant will supply the power. The IESO said "any further acquisitions will continue to be disclosed."

A gas and oil fleet

Alpha Generation is a U.S. company. Its website says it owns or operates 26 generating plants in six states, and the fuel it lists for its plants is natural gas and oil. They include the Oswego Generating Station on the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York state. The company describes Oswego as two large steam units "that are primarily oil-fueled," now run as peaking units.

The IESO did not say whether Oswego is the source of the Ontario contract.

More capacity sought

In the same notice, the IESO raised the targets for this year's capacity auction. The summer 2027 target rose from 1,800 MW to 2,000 MW, and the winter 2027-28 target rose from 1,200 MW to 1,400 MW.

After the export threats

The deal follows the province's threats to cut power going the other way. In March 2025, the Ontario government put a 25 per cent surcharge on electricity exports to Michigan, New York and Minnesota. Its release said the government could raise the surcharge or, "if the U.S. escalates," cut off electricity exports to the U.S. completely. The same release said Ontario exported 14.6, 14.2 and 12.0 terawatt-hours of electricity to the U.S. in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and that the province has seven transmission connections with New York.

Why it matters here

Grey-Bruce sits beside the biggest source of power in the province. Bruce Power says its station near Tiverton produces 30 per cent of Ontario's electricity each year. The company says it employs more than 4,000 people, and that its Life-Extension Program, which refurbishes six of its eight units, will "create and sustain 22,000 jobs annually" and put $4 billion a year into Ontario's economy.

Nuclear is the backbone of the provincial grid. The IESO says nuclear was about 32 per cent of Ontario's transmission-connected capacity in 2024 but produced about 48.2 per cent of the province's actual generation in 2025. Natural gas makes up nearly 30 per cent of capacity but about 10 per cent of generation, according to the IESO.

The IESO's notice does not name Bruce Power or say whether any Bruce units are part of the maintenance it cites.

What about your hydro bill?

Neither the IESO nor the Ministry of Energy has published a cost for the contract or said whether it will affect electricity rates. The Ontario Energy Board, which sets regulated rates, has made no statement on it. The Banner will report any official figures when they are released.

Your turn

Should Ontario be buying power from U.S. gas and oil plants while it threatens to cut exports south? Does Bruce Power's place on the grid make you feel more secure about winter supply? Tell us in the comments or write to news@chatsworthbanner.ca.