Future Energy

Durham Region’s business community is at the forefront of accelerating energy innovation and includes a vibrant cluster of future energy businesses—the strongest of its kind in Canada.

Durham Region is the Clean Energy Capital of Canada and offers tremendous opportunities for businesses in energy and environmental industries to grow, with a focus on transitioning to a clean and sustainable economy.

Organizations in Durham Region are accelerating the adoption of green technologies and clean energy solutions in a variety of areas, including:

Energy generation
Smart energy
Microgrids and energy storage
Energy efficient buildings
Electric vehicle infrastructure

A Testbed for Clean and Smart Technologies of the Future

The Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Darlington site is the only location in Canada licensed for new nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs). The first of their kind in North America, OPG's small modular reactors will be the first grid-scale SMRs in Canada and the G7.
Microgrid Research and Innovation Park in Oshawa, the largest microgrid of its kind in Canada that is designed to support Ontario Tech University’s energy requirements during the utility power outages.
APMA’s zero-emissions alternative-fuel vehicle (Project Arrow) was engineered and manufactured at Ontario Tech’s ACE Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel. Ontario Tech continues to support the next phase of advanced electric vehicle development in the Project Arrow series.
Durham Region is home to one of Canada’s first autonomous shuttle pilot project, that will focus on Human Machine Interface (HMI) and User Experience.
Geothermal Field and Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) at Durham College leverages sustainable underground thermal energy for on-campus energy with a real-time insight on energy savings and reduction of associated greenhouse gas emission.
Clean Energy Research Laboratory (CERL) at Ontario Tech is one of the leaders in research on hydrogen, deemed to be a clean energy carrier of the future and a potential solution to climate change challenges.

A World Class Energy Ecosystem

Durham Region plays a significant role in the energy sector in Ontario and in Canada. Currently, Durham Region produces about 35 per cent of electricity in Ontario and includes a strong cluster of more than 250 companies—some of the largest and most innovative—in electricity generation and transmission, energy management, smart mobility, manufacturing, and engineering services.

Many Canadian and International companies have chosen Durham Region to be their home, including Hydro One, Ontario Power Generation, Elexicon Energy, Hubbell, ABB, Siemens, Aecom, RCM Canada, Veolia, Worley, Alithya, AtkinsRéalis, and many more.

We’re confident your company will thrive in Durham Region.

Durham Companies Spotlight

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is the largest electricity generator in the province of Ontario and is headquartered in Oshawa. It is one of the most diverse generators in North America with expertise in nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, solar and natural gas technologies. OPG is helping to lead the way in the advancement of small modular reactor (SMR) technology—the future of nuclear power generation.

French multi-national Veolia in Pickering provides energy, water and waste management solutions to some of the largest businesses and cities across the globe. Veolia is also a world leader in smart building solutions based on technology, data and advanced analytics.

Trench is a world leader in power engineering, and in the design of specialized high voltage electrical products for the utility and industrial markets around the globe. Trench is one of the largest employers in Durham Region.

ABB, a Swedish multi-national, is a leading technology company driving the digital transformation of urban infrastructure, industry and transportation. ABB’s Durham Region office is in Whitby.

Australian multi-national Worley provides digital, engineering, supply chain, and project management services to traditional power and new energy markets, including wind and low-carbon green hydrogen. Worley’s Durham Region locations are in Pickering and Bowmanville.

Kinectrics provides life-cycle management solutions in design and development, consulting, analysis, and quality for the electricity generation, transmission, and distribution industry.

Nuclear Promise X's mission is to modernize through innovation, making the clean energy sector more sustainable, cost-efficient, faster, and safer. Among their work as an OPG supplier is digital transformation projects.

Ontario's Largest Energy Talent Pool

Companies in the energy innovation sector in Durham have access to a substantial talent pool of individuals who have the skills needed to support this thriving sector. With an existing workforce of more than 10,000 and access to a world class talent pool of more than 400,000 students across the Greater Toronto Area, Durham Region boasts the largest and most skilled talent pool for future energy industries in Ontario.

Post-Secondary Institutions in Durham Region—Durham College and Ontario Tech University—each provide industry-specific programming to support future generations of energy solutions. Since 2005, OPG has invested $15 million in educational partnership programs with Durham College and Ontario Tech University to increase the pool of skilled and qualified graduates.

Both schools offer businesses opportunities to leverage their world class facilities, research faculty, and students in finding business and technical solutions respective to their industries.

Durham College

Consistently named one of Canada’s top 50 research colleges, Durham College is widely recognized as an innovative training ground for new generations of skilled workers in the energy, environment and engineering fields. Durham College is home to:

On-campus energy infrastructure; the Simcoe Geothermal Field and Innovation Centre
Programs in faculties of Science, Engineering and Technology, Renewable Technology, all housed in state-of-the-art facilities
Important industry partnerships such as one with Ontario Power Generation that nurtures development of skilled trades

Ontario Tech University

Ontario Tech University is rated #1 in cross-sector research among Canadian undergraduate universities and offers the only Nuclear Engineering undergraduate degree in Canada. Ontario Tech has become a national leader in energy and environmental sustainability research, and is home to:

More than 30 researchers representing multiple faculties
- Some of the world’s leading researchers in nuclear energy and nuclear science
- International research leaders in developing alternative energy sources
- Researchers that have made major contribution to forms of clean energy, including:

Biofuels
Hydrogen and Fuel cells
Geothermal and Solar

Research is carried out at their world class facilities including:

Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Center (ERC)
Microgrid Research and Innovation Facility
Clean Energy Research Lab (CERL)
ACE Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel
Electrochemical Energy Materials Lab
Centre for Small Modular Reactors
Biomolecular Characterization Facility
Borehole Thermal Energy Storage System

Trent University Durham GTA

Trent's Oshawa campus offers arts, science, social science and professional programs. Trent also offers a Materials Science Graduate program in collaboration with Ontario Tech University.

Programs suited to serving the energy sector include:

Accounting
Business Administration
Human Resources
Communications
Innovation
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Masters of Management

Accelerating Energy Innovation

Talent Factsheet: Energy