The End of Coal: Ontario’s coal phase-out

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes Ontario's successful phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation, which was completed by the end of 2014. The study examines the factors that enabled this transition—categorized as context, champions, concerns, and complementary policies—and evaluates the resulting impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, public health, and the economy.

• Ontario successfully eliminated coal-fired electricity generation by the end of 2014, a transition that is described as the largest greenhouse gas reduction measure in North America.
• The phase-out led to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 34 megatonnes (Mt), representing a 17 per cent decrease since 2007.
• Public health concerns were the primary driver of the coal phase-out. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) provided critical evidence by quantifying the health and economic costs of air pollution, which made the issue impossible for politicians to ignore.
• Public ownership of coal plants significantly facilitated the phase-out because the Government of Ontario, as the shareholder, could write off its own assets without renegotiating long-term supply contracts with private owners.
• The transition was supported by a rare multi-party political consensus. By the 2003 provincial elections, the Progressive Conservative, Liberal, and New Democratic parties all committed to a coal phase-out, ensuring long-term policy stability regardless of which party held power.
• While the phase-out improved air quality and reduced GHGs, the province largely replaced coal with natural gas rather than renewables, as natural gas was a cheaper substitute.
• The phase-out was influenced by international pressures, including the Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement and a 2003 complaint filed by New York's Attorney General with the Commission for Environmental Co-operation regarding pollution affecting the northeast.
• The reform had mixed economic impacts: while it created some 'green' jobs (such as in the biomass supply chain), it led to the loss of well-paying jobs in specific communities like Atikokan and contributed to an increase in electricity prices.

APA

Harris, M., Beck, M., & Gerasimchuk, I. (2015). The End of Coal: Ontario’s coal phase-out. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/end-of-coal-ontario-coal-phase-out.pdf

Chicago

Harris, Melissa, Marisa Beck, and Ivetta Gerasimchuk. The End of Coal: Ontario’s coal phase-out. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2015. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/end-of-coal-ontario-coal-phase-out.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harris |first1=Melissa |last2=Beck |first2=Marisa |last3=Gerasimchuk |first3=Ivetta |title=The End of Coal: Ontario’s coal phase-out |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2015 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/end-of-coal-ontario-coal-phase-out.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harris2015end, author = {Harris, Melissa and Beck, Marisa and Gerasimchuk, Ivetta}, title = {{The End of Coal: Ontario’s coal phase-out}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/end-of-coal-ontario-coal-phase-out.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }