Ontario, Canada: Reorienting Local Economies by Converting the Atikokan and Thunder Bay Coal-Fired Generating Stations

Ontario phased out coal-fired electricity by 2014, initially lacking a just transition plan for the 770 affected workers across four plants. Following local advocacy, the Atikokan and Thunder Bay stations were converted to 100% biomass to preserve jobs and support the forest products sector. While the Atikokan Generating Station became the largest biomass plant in North America, the Thunder Bay station closed in 2018 due to low energy demand and equipment corrosion. The document highlights that while conversion provided short-term economic stability and research opportunities, the lack of preemptive planning and failure to account for long-term energy demand posed significant challenges.

• Ontario's coal phase-out, which ceased coal use by 2014, was described as "the single largest climate change initiative in North America" and significantly lowered greenhouse gas emissions, an effect equivalent to removing up to 7 million cars from the road.
• The provincial government initially failed to implement a proactive just transition plan for the 770 workers and their communities, intending instead to decommission all four plants and create new energy jobs in different locations.
• Local advocacy led to the conversion of the Atikokan and Thunder Bay stations to biomass. The Atikokan Generating Station (AGS) reopened in 2014 as the largest 100% biomass-burning power plant in North America, which supported the local forest products sector and prevented a projected CAD 5.3 million annual decrease in local spending.
• The Thunder Bay Generating Station (TGS) became the first of its kind globally to use steam exploded wood pellets in 2015, but it closed in 2018 because it was a peaking plant in an area with low energy demand and the boiler had "significant corrosion damage."
• The document identifies a critical gap in planning for the long-term viability of converted plants, suggesting that propping up stations and a biomass industry not required for long-term energy demand may eventually harm the regional economy.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Ontario, Canada: Reorienting Local Economies by Converting the Atikokan and Thunder Bay Coal-Fired Generating Stations. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/ontario-canada-reorienting-local-economies-converting-atikokan-and-thunder-bay-coal-fired

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Ontario, Canada: Reorienting Local Economies by Converting the Atikokan and Thunder Bay Coal-Fired Generating Stations. 2021. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/ontario-canada-reorienting-local-economies-converting-atikokan-and-thunder-bay-coal-fired.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Ontario, Canada: Reorienting Local Economies by Converting the Atikokan and Thunder Bay Coal-Fired Generating Stations |date=1 April 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/ontario-canada-reorienting-local-economies-converting-atikokan-and-thunder-bay-coal-fired |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2021ontario, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Ontario, Canada: Reorienting Local Economies by Converting the Atikokan and Thunder Bay Coal-Fired Generating Stations}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/ontario-canada-reorienting-local-economies-converting-atikokan-and-thunder-bay-coal-fired}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }