Ontario's power grid strained by historic surge in data centre demand

Ontario is seeing a sharp rise in large-scale power connection requests, driven mainly by data centres. A new report highlights how these projects are reshaping demand on the province’s electricity grid. The surge comes as artificial intelligence fuels growth in the sector. Hydro Ottawa’s CEO, Bryce Conrad, described the trend as historic. Data centres now make up about 60% of connection requests in the utility’s queue. Public institutions like hospitals and government facilities account for another 17%.

Hydro Ottawa currently has 34 large projects waiting to connect, with a combined demand of just over 1,000 MW. This equals roughly 86% of the utility’s average load. By the end of 2026, total requests from these projects may surpass the average power use of all homes and businesses in Ottawa.

Across Ontario, data centre projects alone are seeking to connect about 6,000 MW to the grid. This marks a 70% jump from just two months earlier. Most applicants aim to come online within the next two years, forcing utilities to work at an unprecedented speed. The Independent Electricity System Operator noted that these figures can shift as projects are paused, withdrawn, or accelerated. The report was published by The Canadian Press on June 25, 2026. Hydro Ottawa and other providers are now managing a wave of demand unlike anything seen before. The scale of these requests is testing the limits of Ontario’s power infrastructure.