On Friday, June 20, the Ontario Waterpower Association (OWA) and the waterpower community will celebrate Waterpower Day across Ontario, Canada. The date honors the birthday of Sir Adam Beck (born June 20, 1857), a Canadian politician and visionary widely known as the father of hydroelectricity in Ontario.

WATERPOWER IN ONTARIO

Up until the late 1950s, all of Ontario’s energy needs were met by hydroelectric generation. Not only did waterpower fuel the province’s economic development, but it also laid the foundation for the quality of life Ontarians enjoy today. Waterpower generation provides 24% of Ontario’s energy supply and 76% of its renewable energy.

The province is home to 224 waterpower facilities, many of which have been operating for more than 100 years. These facilities not only provide clean renewable energy, but also deliver additional benefits such as recreation, flood control, tourism, economic development, and local employment.

Currently, there is 9,000 MW of waterpower in Ontario and the OWA has identified 4,000-5,000 MW of untapped potential. According to the recent Annual Planning Outlook from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), energy demand is forecasted to grow 75% by 2050.

“This is an unprecedented time in the electricity sector to advance waterpower as a solution to the province’s emergent and enduring energy needs and economic objectives,” says Paul Norris, OWA President.

“New waterpower generation can help address the growing long-term electricity needs in Ontario and partnerships with local and Indigenous communities will be critical in advancing the expansion of waterpower.”

WHY WATERPOWER DAY MATTERS

The OWA established Waterpower Day to celebrate over a century of made-in-Ontario waterpower and to raise awareness of its role as an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy source. Learn more here.

Thanks to its natural abundance of waterpower, Ontario is poised for an extremely bright energy future – building on a long and proud history.

And stay tuned – the celebration continues in the U.S. on August 24 with National Hydropower Day, a day to recognize the many contributions of waterpower to communities across America.