Ontario schools promised $550 million to go green


Protective Relay Training - Basic

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
The Ontario government is spending a lot of green to help more than 1,000 schools go green.

On the eve of Earth Day, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that $550 million would be spent over the next two years to enable schools across the province to be retrofitted with energy-efficient windows, roofs, and cooling and heating systems.

"A vibrant school environment starts from the ground up," McGuinty told Grade 1 and 2 students at the downtown St. Paul Catholic School on Sackville St.

"By retrofitting our schools, we're creating jobs while saving energy and money and teaching our kids about greener ways to live," he said, adding the measures should mean 5,500 new short-term jobs.

Education Minister Kathleen Wynne said the money would be flowing out the door immediately.

"One of the reasons that we wanted to get the announcement out was so that boards could plan for those projects and could be doing them over the summer," Wynne said.

She said it would be up to Ontario's 72 public and separate school boards to decide which of the province's 5,000 schools would be repaired, and conceded there could be further closures of some older, unneeded facilities.

"The fact is we have more capacity than we need across the province. Boards have to manage their capital assets given that there are 90,000 fewer kids in the system," the minister said.

Related News

Energy freedom and solar’s strategy for the South

South Carolina Energy Freedom Act lifts net metering caps, reforms PURPA, and overhauls utility planning…
View more

Spain's power demand in April plummets under COVID-19 lockdown

Spain Electricity Demand April 2020 saw a 17.3% year-on-year drop as COVID-19 lockdown curbed activity;…
View more

Ontario, Quebec to swap energy in new deal to help with electricity demands

Ontario-Quebec Energy Swap streamlines electricity exchange, balancing peak demand across clean grids with hydroelectric and…
View more

Is 5G a waste of electricity? Experts say it's complicated

5G Energy Costs highlight base station power consumption, carrier electricity bills, and carbon emissions in…
View more

Brazilian electricity workers call for 72-hour strike

Eletrobras Privatization Strike sparks a 72-hour CNE walkout by Brazil's electricity workers, opposing asset sell-offs…
View more

Kyiv warns of 'difficult' winter after deadly strikes

Ukraine Winter Energy Attacks strain the power grid as Russian missile strikes hit critical infrastructure,…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified