Category: 🏛 Organizations & Roles
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Generators are organizations that own and operate electricity generating facilities and supply electricity to the power grid.
In Ontario’s electricity system, generators participate in the wholesale electricity market administered by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). They submit offers to produce electricity, respond to dispatch instructions, and may also provide reliability services such as operating reserve and regulation.
Generators are central participants in the electricity sector because their investment decisions, operating strategies, and availability directly influence electricity supply, market prices, and system reliability.
Electricity Generator
An organization that owns or operates electricity generating facilities and supplies electricity to the power grid.
Generators may operate a single generating station or a portfolio of facilities using different technologies.
⚡ Generators operate within both physical and market constraints.
Their operations must satisfy technical limitations of power plants while responding to market signals and system operator instructions.
Electricity generation assets in Ontario are owned by a variety of organizations.
Common ownership structures include:
These organizations may operate multiple generating facilities across different regions.
Generators participate in the wholesale electricity market by submitting offers indicating:
The dispatch system evaluates these offers and determines which generators should operate during each market interval.
Related topic:
Dispatch
Generators may earn revenue through several mechanisms.
Generators receive payments based on electricity market prices for the electricity they produce.
Some generators operate under long-term contracts that provide additional payments or price stability.
Generators may receive compensation for providing reliability services such as operating reserve or regulation.
Related topic:
Ancillary Services
Generators must operate within a variety of technical constraints, including:
These constraints influence how generators participate in dispatch and electricity markets.
Most large generators connect directly to the transmission system, which carries electricity across the province.
Smaller generators, including some renewable energy facilities, may connect to distribution networks.
Once electricity enters the grid, it flows through the transmission system toward demand centers.
Related topics:
Consider a natural gas power plant responding to rising electricity demand.
This process illustrates how generators interact with electricity markets and system operations.
➡ Next Topic:
Transmitters
This topic explains the organizations responsible for operating and maintaining Ontario’s high-voltage transmission infrastructure.
Last Updated: 2026-03-27