Ottawa's energy needs are rapidly evolving, and to ensure a reliable and sustainable future, critical investments in our electricity infrastructure must happen now. Without these essential upgrades, we risk compromising the stability of our grid.
The future of energy is changing; and it’s happening faster than anyone could have anticipated. You’ve likely noticed signs of it across Ottawa and in your neighbourhoods. More electric vehicles on our roads, more homes switching to efficient heat pumps, more solar panels being installed – it’s all part of a significant shift called electrification. Simply put, it means moving away from burning fossil fuels and using electricity as our main energy source for things like driving, heating, and cooling.
This change isn't just a trend; it's a key part of building a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. And this shift isn't unique to our community - it’s happening throughout Ontario, across Canada, and all around the world.
Electrification is changing the vehicles we drive, how we stay warm in the winters and cool in the summers, and much more. But it will also add to the demand on the energy grid. Hydro Ottawa and other utilities are already working to make sure the grid will be ready for what’s to come — and to enable a more sustainable, more reliable and more efficient energy future.
What the energy transition means for your home or business
It takes more electricity to power our daily lives than ever before. Think about your daily life - from our smartphones and laptops, our energy needs are constantly evolving. Even traditional appliances have become more power hungry. For example, did you know that a single serve coffee machine uses, on average, 37 per cent more electricity than a drip maker? Or that a simple ChatGPT search consumes 10 times more energy than a traditional Google search? Electrification will build on this, especially as more of us choose electric vehicles and energy-efficient heat pumps to replace older, less efficient systems.
This shift is part of a bigger picture: a move towards cleaner energy sources and smarter energy use. You might have already seen this in action with solar panels popping up on rooftops across Ottawa. These are examples of distributed energy resources (DERs), and they’ll play a vital role in managing the increased energy demand of an electrified future. In fact, last year alone, we saw a remarkable 40% increase in Ottawa residents generating their own clean electricity through rooftop solar.
Moving towards an electrified future offers some significant benefits for everyone in Ottawa. By reducing our reliance on gas-powered furnaces and vehicles, we’ll significantly decrease harmful emissions, creating healthier air for us all to breathe. Plus, a modern, robust electricity grid isn't just good for the environment; it's essential for attracting new businesses – such as big e-commerce hubs and data centres (source: IEA, Electricity 2024: Analysis and forecast to 2026). New companies mean new jobs.
Additionally, technologies like rooftop solar panels and battery storage can empower you to generate your own electricity, potentially reducing your reliance on the grid so that you can power your home with clean electricity harnessed from the sun. For those with homes in sunnier locations, you can share any extra energy that you generate back with the grid, helping to make our local power supply more flexible and reliable for everyone.
Moving electrification forward
The electrification movement is already well underway, but the pace of change is ramping up quickly. For example, with well over 5,000 EVs on the road in Ottawa, there will be an increase in the number of chargers available to residents and visitors to keep batteries topped up. But with more people charging their vehicles comes a need to change how our grid is built, maintained, and operated in order to better manage peaks in demand, whenever they come and whatever their size. That’s where making smart, strategic investments becomes crucial.
We are investing in creating a more resilient grid by building new substations, expanding our power lines, and boosting our operating voltages to ensure that we can move electrons more efficiently through our distribution network.
But we can’t just build everything from the ground up. We are focused on making the most of our existing infrastructure. By deploying cutting-edge technologies like field sensors, remotely controlled devices and the power of artificial intelligence, we’ll gain real-time insights into how our community is using energy, providing us with critical data that will be used to optimize our grid and ensure a reliable electricity system for you.
If we do not proactively prepare for the future, we risk meeting the demands of a rapidly changing energy landscape. Failing to invest in necessary infrastructure upgrades puts us at risk of falling further and further behind — with potential consequences for you. An overloaded, outdated system will buckle under the pressure of increased demand, resulting in more frequent and widespread power outages that disrupt daily life, businesses and essential services. If we must limit new connections to our grid, economic growth and development will also suffer.
Building Ottawa’s energy future, together
At Hydro Ottawa, we are hard at work readying our grid for greater electrification in the communities we serve. We’re deeply committed to understanding and meeting your evolving energy needs, and believe this journey is one we must take together. From individual homeowners, renters and businesses to fellow utilities and all levels of government, a collective effort is what will truly power this transformation. It’s a big job, but we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Ready to take part? Discover programs and incentives available to homeowners and businesses to help you along your energy journey – whether you’re exploring solar and battery storage solutions for your rooftop, or considering an energy-efficient heat pump, explore the resources available on our knowledge hub where you’ll find valuable information on topics like grid modernization and practical tips for boosting energy efficiency in your own space. It’s time to power our sustainable future together.