Sector Evolution
The Grid Innovation Fund (GIF) advances innovative opportunities to achieve electricity bill savings for Ontario ratepayers by funding projects that either enable customers to better manage their energy consumption or that reduce the costs associated with maintaining reliable operation of the province’s grid.
On June 12, 2025, the Minister of Energy and Mines released the Integrated Energy Plan — Energy for Generations: Ontario’s Integrated Plan to Power the Strongest Economy in the G7 — along with an implementation directive that outlines several initiatives for the IESO to lead. One such initiative calls on the IESO to work with the Ministry to review the GIF to enhance governance and determine future innovation-focused funding, including identifying barriers to the commercialization, market integration and/or community adoption (including Indigenous and remote communities) of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) that could be explored with the support of the GIF.
This page is dedicated to public GIF engagement updates. All comments and enquiries on this engagement can be directed to engagement@ieso.ca.
|
Timing |
Engagement Activity |
Expected Actions |
|---|---|---|
|
December 24, 2025 |
Feedback due following the December 9-12 roundtable discussions. |
|
|
December 9, 2025 from 10:00am – 12:00pm December 10, 2025 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm December 11, 2025 from 10:00am – 12:00pm December 12, 2025 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm |
Roundtable Discussions: GIF Governance The IESO is hosting virtual roundtable discussions to seek input from across the sector to help inform the review of, and resulting recommendations for, enhancing the GIF governance. These will be facilitated meetings with the expectation that attendees will participate in and contribute to the discussion. Participants will be encouraged to share their perspectives on (i) how the IESO can broaden its understanding of the innovation ecosystem in Ontario's electricity system, (ii) potential limitations with the existing GIF governance framework, and (iii) potential enhancements that could help support innovation in the province. |
|
Timing |
Engagement Activity |
Expected Actions |
|---|---|---|
|
May 7, 2024 |
Feedback due on materials presented at the April 23 webinar Feedback Received: |
|
|
April 23, 2024 |
This session will provide stakeholders with information on the upcoming GIF Call including objectives, times and eligibility criteria.
|
This webinar was presented during the IESO's April stakeholder engagement sessions, see full agenda for more information. |
