OPG and Microsoft partner for clean energy in Ontario

The Darlington New Nuclear Project site in Clarington, where OPG plans to build a small modular reactor. (CNW Group/Ontario Power Generation Inc.)

TORONTO — Ontario Power Generation and Microsoft have announced a partnership aimed at tackling climate change and driving sustainable growth across Ontario.

The two companies have said they will work together on a series of initiatives that are focused on delivering clean energy solutions and digital skilling programs.

Microsoft will procure Clean Energy Credits (CECs) sourced from OPG’s carbon-free hydro and nuclear assets in Ontario on an hourly basis. This will enable Microsoft to advance progress on its goal of powering its data centres globally with carbon-free energy, around the clock by 2030.

Along with the purchase of CECs from OPG, the two companies will also collaborate on several important sustainability initiatives, including:

• Co-developing an hourly energy matching platform that uses Microsoft Azure IoT and AI technology to match a customer’s power needs with local carbon-free energy sources.
• OPG has chosen Microsoft’s Azure as its cloud platform to modernize applications, IT infrastructure and services.
• OPG and Microsoft will explore digital opportunities to accelerate OPG’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program.
• Beyond the CEC agreement currently in place, under a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding, Microsoft and OPG will evaluate procurement of CECs associated with the carbon-free energy produced by the soon-to-be-constructed SMR at the Darlington new nuclear project site.
• As part of the partnership, OPG has also joined the CEO Pledge, an initiative launched by Microsoft Canada, to commit its used technology to the government of Canada’s Computers for Schools Plus (CSF+) program, with the goal of bridging the digital divide.