The Energy Mix
Summary
On the hottest day in Toronto’s history, 60 hopeful Torontonians boarded a bus to see what clean energy looks like in Canada’s largest city.
The lone wind turbine at the city’s Exhibition Grounds, solar panels on the rooftop of Central Technical School, and an expansive geothermal exchange field buried beneath the University of Toronto offered a glimpse into the state of Toronto’s energy transition—under way, but hard to see.
The city already benefits from a relatively clean electricity supply. Ontario’s grid is about 90% carbon-free, powered largely by nuclear and hydro, with smaller contributions from wind, solar, and an increasing share of gas—which recently put the grid at its highest share of emitting power since coal plants were operating in the province.
But electricity is only part of the picture. In Toronto, over half of all greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, largely because of the gas burned for space and water heating. That’s why rooftop solar, geothermal systems, and district energy projects are so important—they tackle emissions where they happen.
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