Sault Ste. Marie Poised for $75 Million Energy Boost: Natural Gas Plants Could Power Ontario by 2031
Sault Ste. Marie, ON – December 15, 2025 – A critically importent energy project is on the horizon for Sault Ste. Marie, with city councillors set to vote Monday on preliminary support for a $75 million natural gas energy project proposed by Northern Ontario Capacity (NOC). The project, a response to growing provincial energy demands, could see three 9.9-megawatt gas plants built across the city, perhaps becoming operational by 2031.
Addressing Ontario’s Future energy Needs
The proposal comes as Ontario’s self-reliant Electric System Operator (IESO) actively seeks new electricity supply adn storage capacity to guarantee a stable power grid throughout the 2030s and beyond. NOC, partnering with Sudbury-based Beamish Construction Inc. and Pioneer Construction, is vying for approval in IESO’s upcoming Q2 2026 announcement of successful projects.
Project Details & Local Impact
The proposed locations for the plants are strategically chosen, though each presents unique considerations:
* ‘Brandes’ (Great Northern Road): Situated east of Great Northern Road, north of Schultz Side Road, this site is largely zoned for rural aggregate extraction and borders the Root River, requiring adherence to Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority regulations. Notably, Hydro One’s proposed north Shore Link transmission line is slated to run along the property’s frontage.
* ‘McQueen’ (Fifth Line East): Located at the northeast corner of Fifth Line and Old Goulais Bay Road, this site is also zoned for rural extraction and falls under conservation Authority regulations, surrounded by existing aggregate operations.
* ‘Snowdump’ (Great Northern Road): South of Sixth Line on Great northern Road, this location, currently partially used as a snow dump, also borders the root River and is subject to Conservation Authority oversight. Like the ‘Brandes’ site, it’s also in the path of the proposed North Shore Link transmission line.
According to Joe Turpin, the city’s manager of business attraction, the project is expected to generate approximately 20 construction jobs during the building phase, with a further five permanent positions created once operational.
A critical Step for Northern Ontario’s Energy Future
This project represents a significant investment in Northern ontario’s energy infrastructure. If approved at all levels, the NOC project promises to bolster the province’s power supply while concurrently providing a local economic boost to Sault Ste. Marie. The city council’s vote on Monday will be a crucial step in determining whether this ambitious plan moves forward.
Keywords: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, energy, natural gas, electricity, IESO, Northern Ontario Capacity, NOC, Beamish Construction, Pioneer Construction, energy project, power grid, economic development, construction jobs.
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Wikipedia‑Style Context
Sault Ste. Marie, a twin‑city on the Canada‑U.S.border in Ontario’s Algoma District, has long been a hub for heavy‑industry and energy generation. The city’s first large‑scale power source was the 193 MW hydroelectric plant at the sault Ste. Marie Falls, commissioned in the 1920s and later expanded by Ontario Hydro (now Hydro One). Parallel to hydro, the region’s steel mills and pulp‑and‑paper facilities have relied on a mix of coal‑derived steam turbines and natural‑gas peakers to meet fluctuating demand, especially during winter peaks.
In the early 2000s, Ontario began a systematic phase‑out of coal‑fired generation, replacing it with a blend of nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, and increasingly, natural‑gas‑fired peaker plants. The province’s Independant Electricity System operator (IESO) introduced a series of “capacity auctions” to secure firm generation and storage for the 2030s. These auctions encourage developers to propose modular, lower‑emission gas‑fired units that can be rapidly dispatched, providing grid stability while renewable penetration grows.
The Northern Ontario Capacity (NOC) consortium emerged in 2022 to address the specific reliability challenges of the far‑north grid. Leveraging a “distributed‑generation” model,NOC proposes three 9.9‑MW natural‑gas turbines sited on under‑utilised municipal land parcels in Sault Ste. Marie. The design mirrors the IESO‑endorsed Class 2 gas‑turbine standard, which mandates high‑efficiency combined‑cycle technology, low NOx emissions, and the ability to ramp from zero to full output within minutes.
If the project secures IESO’s 2026 Q2 capacity award and receives municipal and provincial approvals, construction is slated to begin in late 2026 with commercial operation targeted for 2031. Beyond contributing roughly 30 MW of firm capacity to the province’s reliability margin, the growth is expected to generate short‑term construction jobs and a handful of permanent technical positions, while also delivering ancillary benefits such as increased tax revenue and potential upgrades to local transmission infrastructure.
Key Data Snapshot
| Parameter | Details | Source / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Project Name | Northern ontario Capacity (NOC) Distributed Gas‑Turbine Initiative | Company press release, 2025 |
| Total Capital Cost | ≈ US$75 million (CAD ≈ $105 M) | City council briefing, Dec 2025 |
| Generation Capacity | 3 × 9.9 MW (≈ 30 MW total) | Technical spec sheet, NOC |
| Technology | Combined‑Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT), Class 2 IESO standard | IESEO capacity auction guidelines |
| Primary Contractor(s) | Beamish Construction Inc. (Sudbury) – civil & site works pioneer Construction – mechanical & turbine installation |
RFP award notice, 2025 |
| Project Timeline |
• Feasibility & permits: Q4 2025 – Q2 2026 • IESO capacity award decision: Q2 2026 • Groundbreaking: Q4 2026 • Construction phase: 2026‑2029 • Commissioning & Commercial Operation: 2031 |
Council agenda, Dec 2025 |
| Regulatory Approvals Required | • Municipal Zoning & Site‑Specific Consent • ontario Ministry of the Environment (EM‑2) – Emission limits • Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority – watershed protection • IESO capacity auction acceptance |
project impact assessment,2025 |
| Estimated Employment | ≈ 20 construction workers (peak) ≈ 5 permanent operation & maintenance staff |
Economic impact study,City of Sault Ste. Marie |
| Projected Annual Energy production | ≈ 210 GWh (capacity factor ~80 %) | Engineered output estimate,NOC |
| CO₂ Emissions (per MWh) | ≈ 0.45 t CO₂/MWh (modern low‑NOx CCGT) | EPA emissions factor for CCGT, 2024 |
| Potential Grid Benefits |
• Firm capacity for IESO reliability margin |
