Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) is a Crown corporation and a key player in Ontario’s electricity landscape, responsible for around half of the province’s electricity generation. Established in April 1999, OPG emerged as part of the Progressive Conservative government’s efforts to privatize Ontario Hydro’s assets and deregulate the electricity market.

With its headquarters initially planned for Clarington, Ontario, a change in direction led OPG to purchase the former head office building of General Motors Canada in Oshawa, Ontario, signaling its new headquarters’ location, set to open by 2024.

At the helm of OPG’s leadership is Wendy Kei, serving as the chairman of the board of directors, alongside Ken Hartwick, who assumed the position of president and chief executive officer on April 1, 2019. The board comprises several other members, including John Herron, Selma Lussenburg, and Scott McDonald, among others.

Financially, OPG has seen notable improvements since 2003, with profits reaching $366 million in 2005 and credit ratings being upgraded. The company has also garnered recognition for its corporate citizenship, winning awards and being named among Canada’s Top 100 Employers and Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.

In terms of power generation, OPG operates nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, gas, and biomass power plants. It owns and operates four nuclear power plants, including the Pickering Nuclear Generation Station and the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, along with the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, operated by Bruce Power under lease. OPG manages waste from its nuclear operations and has proposed a deep geologic repository for permanent storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste.

The company has faced criticism and controversies, particularly regarding its coal-fired generating stations and the slow return to operation of some nuclear generating stations. OPG’s involvement in importing wood products from Europe for biomass fuel at the Thunder Bay station also drew scrutiny.

Looking ahead, OPG has diversified its energy portfolio, ceasing coal generation and investing in alternative energy sources like biomass and solar. It’s also embarking on new projects, such as the deployment of a small modular reactor at the Darlington site in partnership with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

With its commitment to providing reliable, clean energy, OPG remains a central figure in Ontario’s energy sector, playing a crucial role in meeting the province’s electricity needs.