The Northwest regional planning area includes the area roughly bounded by Lake Superior to the south, the Marathon area to the east, and the Manitoba border to the west. It includes the districts of Kenora, Rainy River and Thunder Bay.
The IESO is conducting the Northern Ontario Connection Study (NOCS) in response to a request from the government of Ontario to develop supply options in Northwest Ontario that will:
Connect remote First Nations communities to the grid that currently rely on diesel generators for electricity.
Improve reliability for First Nation communities that are already grid-connected.
Support critical minerals mining development.
Enable the development of new hydro and renewable resources.
A preliminary report was submitted to the Ministry of Energy and Electrification in December 2024. A final report will be released, timing is TBD.
The IESO is currently engaging with First Nation communities, municipalities and stakeholders on the Study’s findings. To participate in the engagements and provide your feedback, please visit the engagement webpage.
The Study covers a geographic area over 1,000 km in size, passing through the Greenstone-Marathon electricity planning subregion (Marathon to Whitesand) up to Fort Severn in the far north. Demand in the region is driven by potential new mining development and the addition of remote First Nation communities to the provincial grid. The IESO’s demand forecast scenarios range from 50 to 500 MW by 2050. This wide range is the result of high uncertainty in how mining development will progress.
First Nation Communities
There are 27 remote First Nation communities in Northwest Ontario. These communities are considered remote because most do not have access to all-season roads. The recently completed Wataynikaneyap Transmission Project has connected 17 of the 27 communities to the provincial grid and a feasibility study is currently underway to connect one more. The Northern Ontario Connection Study explores options for connecting the remaining nine, which would bring an end to all First Nation reliance on diesel-generated electricity across Ontario.
Mining Development
The study area contains significant critical mineral deposits including nickel, copper, platinum and chromite, which are used in the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, battery storage systems and smartphones, among other applications. Enabling economic development in the region is an important policy objective for the provincial government and building transmission into the North is a key component of Ontario’s Critical Mineral Strategy.
New Hydro Development
The region also holds potential for the development of new hydro-electric generating resources and 300-500 MW of potential has been identified in the Little Jackfish and Upper Albany-Attawapiskat rivers.
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