Our mission, vision & values

As Ontario’s largest clean electricity generator, see how our focus is on generating safe, efficient, and reliable energy.

About

Our partnerships & subsidiaries
Our subsidiaries & partnerships are helping us improve electricity generation, storage, and distribution technology to electrify life in one generation.
Who we are
Powering Ontario
Ontario’s need for power never takes a rest and neither does OPG — we’re on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week, powering Ontario.
What we do
Public safety
We maintain a long-term commitment to the health, safety and energy needs of Ontarians, and it shows in everything we do.
Our commitments in action
Code of Business Conduct
We operate according to a Code of Business Conduct that ensures safety, integrity and efficiency for Ontario.
Governance & regulation

Workers in hard hats look out from the top of an open stairway before a huge Canadian flag in a nuclear plant.

Our role in the system

Our role is to help build a stronger Ontario by investing in clean, affordable power and energy solutions that help grow Ontario's economy.

Power generation

Nuclear power
Nuclear power plays an important role in Ontario and OPG’s energy mix, and its critical to helping us achieving our net-zero goals.
Our power
Educational resources
We support students and educators by providing learning resources developed specifically for teachers, young people and schools.
Our role in the system
Nuclear safety and emergency preparedness
We build safety into every step of our energy production and about our comprehensive emergency preparedness plans for Ontarians.
Our commitment to safety
- Nuclear safety and emergency preparedness
- Water safety

The pristine turbine hall at Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.

Darlington refurbishment project

Once complete, this project will enable production of clean, safe, low-cost, and emission-free electricity from Darlington for 30 more years.

Projects & services

Darlington SMR
The Darlington site is the only location in Canada licenced for new nuclear with a completed and accepted Environmental Assessment.
Our projects
Clean energy credits
With an extensive portfolio of clean energy generation across North America, OPG can offer environmental credits in both Canada and the US.
Our services
- Electrification services
- Clean energy credits

Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Territorial acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge that our facilities are located within the traditional and treaty territory of Indigenous Nations and communities.

Community investment

The Power for Change Project was designed to give back to Ontario and to the communities where we operate, to help build a cleaner, more sustainable future for generations to come.

Communities

Territorial Acknowledgement
- Territorial Acknowledgement
  OPG respectfully acknowledges that the lands on which its generating stations and other assets are located are within the traditional and treaty territory of many Indigenous communities. Click to read more.
Central Ontario
- Central Ontario
  Central Ontario is home to 20 of our hydroelectric facilities, some of which, like our Sills Island Generating Station, have been part of their community for more than one hundred years.
Eastern Ontario
- Eastern Ontario
  Eastern Ontario is host to one gas-fired generating station and 15 of our hydroelectric generating stations on the St. Lawrence, Ottawa and Madawaska Rivers.
Northeastern Ontario
- Northeastern Ontario
  Northeastern Ontario contains 14 of our hydroelectric stations, including several we built or redeveloped through key partnerships with local Indigenous communities.
Northwestern Ontario
- Northwestern Ontario
  Northwestern Ontario hosts 11 of our hydroelectric stations as well as a former coal generating station that we converted to use biomass as fuel.
Southern Ontario - Durham Region
- Southern Ontario - Durham Region
  The golden horseshoe of Southern Ontario is home to key operations including our Darlington and Pickering nuclear stations in Clarington and Pickering.
Southern Ontario - Niagara Region
- Southern Ontario - Niagara Region
  The golden horseshoe of Southern Ontario is home to key operations including our iconic Sir Adam Beck hydroelectric stations in Niagara Falls.
Southwestern Ontario
- Southwestern Ontario
  Southwestern Ontario is host to our NSS - Western Waste Management Facility in Bruce County, our Eugenia hydroelectric station near Meaford, and our Nanticoke Solar Facility on the site of the former Nanticoke coal station.

Low water conditions at the tailrace of Lower Sturgeon hydroelectric generating station.

Hydroelectric Data Portal (water.opg.com)

Find water level and flow information from gauges on rivers where OPG operates hydroelectric stations in Ontario.

News & resources

Net-Zero News
A quarterly round-up of stories, news and profiles that highlight our best. See how we’re electrifying life in one generation.
Newsroom
Visitor centres
At our visitor centres, the public is welcomed to see how their power is made and learn about Ontario's low-carbon electricity system.
Educational resources
Hydroelectric Water Portal (water.opg.com)

Careers
Investors
Reports
OPG Websites

Pickering Nuclear Generating Station

Located in Pickering (just east of Toronto), Ontario Power Generation's (OPG's) Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (GS) is one of the largest nuclear stations in the world and has been safely and reliably providing Ontario with power for decades.

Learn more about this world-class facility, which features five operating CANDU® reactors (CANadian Deuterium Uranium), and accounts for approximately 10% of Ontario’s electricity needs, while generating power that is virtually emissions-free.

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Pickering nuclear operations

0 2100
megawatts is the total output at Pickering

0 4500
jobs protected until 2025

0 10
of Ontario’s electricity is produced at Pickering

0 21
megatonne reduction in CO₂ emissions in 2026

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OPG’s commitment to the future

Through ongoing investments and the dedication of our employees who live and work in the community, Pickering Nuclear is seeing its strongest performance ever, including achieving its highest yearly production output and its best equipment reliability ratings.

As Ontario’s other nuclear stations undergo refurbishment, there is a need for additional electricity through to 2026. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) approved OPG’s request for a licence amendment to operate Pickering’s Units 5 to 8 to Dec. 31, 2026, up to a maximum of 305,000 equivalent full power hours.

Operating Units 5 to 8 through 2026:

"Avoids equivalent emissions of 643,000 gas-powered cars. Powers 1.5 million homes annually. Protects 4,500 jobs annually. Ensures a stable supply of Cobalt-60, a critical medical isotope."

Beyond 2026

Collage of Pickering Nuclear Generating Station employees and community members representing the generation for generations that the Pickering Refurbisment project will deliver.

Pickering has the opportunity to continue producing safe, reliable energy for Ontario by delivering another world-class refurbishment project for the benefit of generations to come.

With the support of the Province of Ontario, OPG is planning for the refurbishment of Pickering Nuclear’s Units 5 to 8, which will provide many benefits to customers, the economy, and the environment.

None of this would be possible without the support of our neighbours, the residents in the Pickering and Durham communities. We will continue to put our communities first as we continue to generate clean, reliable electricity for the people of Ontario.

Refurbishing Pickering will:

Secure more than 2,100 MW of clean, reliable nuclear power for Ontario for another 30-plus years.
Power two million homes and businesses across Ontario, safely and reliably.
Maintain and secure highly skilled jobs.
Create significant economic impact of more than $19 billion over the refurbishment period in Durham Region and across the province.

Sunrise at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station

OPG’s Pickering Nuclear ready to keep providing low-carbon power for Ontario

OPG’s Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is set to continue generating safe, reliable, low-carbon power for Ontario for up to two more years.

Ontario News: Ontario supporting plan to refurbish Pickering Nuclear Generating Station

The Ontario government is supporting OPG's plan to proceed with refurbishing Pickering Nuclear Generating Station's units 5-8.

Ontario Minister of Energy, Todd Smith, speaks from a podium outside the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station.

CBC News: Doug Ford government to refurbish Pickering nuclear plant as demand for electricity grows

Ontario government will announce Tuesday that it wants to refurbish the Pickering nuclear generating station.

Frequently asked questions

Why are you continuing operations at Pickering?

We know, as Ontario’s other nuclear power plants undergo refurbishment, there will be a need for additional electricity through the summer of 2026. The Minister of Energy asked OPG to review opportunities to make the best use of existing non-emitting assets and reduce reliance on natural gas. In response, we reviewed our proposed shutdown plan for Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and concluded that the facility could continue to safely generate electricity to the end of 2026.

Is it safe?

We would not continue to operate if we could not do so safely.

A previous study has shown Pickering Nuclear Generating Station can run safely beyond 2025. Beyond that, we take hundreds, if not thousands, of measurements daily to validate the integrity of various systems. Every day, we demonstrate our safety through our operations, with CNSC staff on site to ensure we are meeting their rigorous requirements and standards. Our people live and work in Pickering and surrounding communities, and public and environmental safety is more than a top priority; it is part of who we are.

Do you need approval to continue operations?

OPG has submitted a Licence Amendment Application to the CNSC which requests Commission authorization to operate Pickering NGS Units 5 to 8 to the end of December 2026. The CNSC, which employs a rigorous and transparent decision-making process, has granted approval for Pickering’s continued operations of Units 5-8 through to 2026.

When will refurbishment begin?

Planning for refurbishment has already begun and will take several years to complete. OPG will engage in procurement and pre-requisite activities to ensure we are ready to proceed when planning is complete.

Following shutdown, units will be defueled and dewatered so that refurbishment activities can begin, pending regulatory approval. Start dates will overlap. As units return to service, they will be reconnected to the grid.

Will the plant close entirely for refurbishment?

Yes, we will shut down all units at the end of 2026 (pending CNSC approval) and put the station into a layup state so that refurbishment activities can begin.

How long will refurbishment take?

All four refurbished reactors will be back in service by the mid-2030s.

Why nuclear?

As the world around us continues to rapidly change, jurisdictions everywhere are acting to secure their energy independence while also addressing the growing impacts of climate change on their communities. Ontario is uniquely positioned to continue to lead the way in climate action and grow our economy because of our diverse electricity system, robust supply chains, and highly skilled workforce. But a growing economy will need a stable supply of more clean power and a reliable grid that can support electrification of other sectors like transportation and heavy industry. As an abundant source of carbon-free electricity that’s available at all times of the day and year, the role of nuclear is more vital than ever.

Nuclear power is the backbone of Ontario’s electricity system, providing approximately 50% of the province’s power.

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Pickering operations chronology

Chronology of activities and events

Project Status: UnderwayStart Date: 2022Expected Completion: TBD

Click on 🛈 below to read more information on milestones.

2022

September 2022

Ontario asks OPG to seek CNSC approval to operate Pickering until Sept. 2026