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ARTICLE · 13 JULY 2026

Data Centre Regulation In Ontario

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
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Ontario's electricity grid connection process for data centres involves navigating complex regulatory frameworks, technical requirements, and emerging provincial policies.

CanadaEnergy and Natural Resources
Colm Boyle
Colm Boyle
Carson Easy
Carson Easy
John Vellone
John Vellone
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In Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, the development and connection process for data centres is driven by Ontario-specific electricity rules and institutions. Grid access and connection obligations are governed primarily by the Electricity Act, 1998,1 the Ontario Energy Board’s (OEB) Transmission System Code2 (TSC) and Distribution System Code3 (DSC), and the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) connection approval and market participation requirements.

Recent policy initiatives, such as Bill 40, signal increasing scrutiny of large “specified load facilities” and the potential for proponents to fulfill additional provincial requirements before seeking to connect.

For proponents considering a data centre project in Ontario, a practical first step is to pose a threshold question:4 will the facility be transmission-connected (typically )50 kV) or distribution-connected ((50 kV)?

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