Ontario imports 600 megawatts from a U.S. firm as Pickering reactors go dark

Summary

In August 2026, after trade talks collapsed and the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods, Premier Doug Ford said everything was on the table, including cutting electricity to the United States. On October 1, the Independent Electricity System Operator announced a six-month deal to import 600 megawatts from Alpha Generation, a U.S. company, starting November 1.

The video argues the electricity contract is the smallest part of the story. Pickering supplied about 10% of Ontario's electricity, roughly 2,200 MW, and the IESO called the purchase normal system planning. The IESO also said Ontario exported nearly seven times more power than it imported in 2025. The sharper vulnerability, the video argues, is natural gas, much of it from the United States, which Keith Brooks of Environmental Defence Canada says Ontario burns to generate power.

The video notes that Ontario's 2025 energy plan targets 99% zero-emissions electricity by 2050, and asks whether building is keeping pace. It also applies Mark Carney's trade logic, several routes so no single partner holds leverage, to the grid. Viewers should watch November 1, the undisclosed price and Pickering's pace.

Key points

• Ontario will import 600 megawatts from Alpha Generation for six months, starting November 1.
• Pickering's four reactors supplied about 10% of Ontario's electricity, roughly 2,200 MW.
• Ontario exported nearly 7 times more power than it imported in 2025.
• The United States imposed 50% tariffs on about $20B of Canadian goods on August 22.
• Ontario's 2025 energy plan targets 99% zero-emissions electricity by 2050.
• Ontario's grid feeds about 1.5 million people in Michigan, New York and Minnesota.

Questions answered