ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, COMMUNITY ACTION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (CAFES)

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Environmental Defence and Community Action for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) applaud Ottawa City Council’s vote (21–4) in favour of the zoning approval for the largest energy storage project proposed in Ottawa to date (the Marchurst/South March Battery Energy Storage System).

This decision signals Ottawa’s leadership in advancing affordable, reliable, low-carbon electricity that will assist Ontario’s energy transition. The battery storage project alongside the six solar projects Council supported earlier this fall will reduce the city’s reliance on expensive gas-fired electricity during peak demand and strengthen Ottawa’s ability to meet its climate and energy commitments.

Mike Marcolongo, Associate Director, Environmental Defence:
“This is Ottawa’s largest-ever battery storage project and it’s a historic step in the right direction toward a cleaner and more reliable grid. The Marchurst battery storage project will help the city reduce dependence on expensive fossil-fuel generation and ensure Ottawa’s new solar projects can power homes and businesses when demand is highest.”

Angela Keller-Herzog, Executive Director, Community Action for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES):
“Ottawa City Council’s approval of the Marchurst battery storage zoning is a strong and welcome step in our local energy-transition journey, but it is only one step. The Marchurst battery storage project development experience has taught us how important it is for communities, rural residents, and project proponents to engage early so we can understand and mitigate risks, shape project designs to fit the landscape and to better understand the community benefits brought by clean energy projects.”

Background:

  • The project can store 250 MW of electricity, making it the largest battery energy storage system proposed in the Ottawa area so far.
  • A 250 MW battery can supply enough power at one moment for more than 250,000 homes.
  • The project is a joint equity partnership between Evolugen (Brookfield Renewable) and the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation—ensuring Indigenous ownership, revenue participation, and long-term economic benefits for the community.
  • City planning staff recommended approval, confirming the project aligns with the Official Plan, the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS 2024), and the Rural Countryside land-use designation.
  • The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) enables Ottawa to integrate six newly approved solar projects and reduce increasing reliance on gas-fired electricity during peak hours.
  • The BESS facility will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry—thermally stable, widely deployed, and with a strong global safety record. All technical details will be reviewed during Site Plan Control.
  • The location directly borders a Hydro One transmission corridor, reducing the loss of land and avoiding prime agricultural areas.
  • Zoning approval now allows the project to move into detailed technical, safety, and community-benefit review, including oversight by Ottawa Fire Services and engineering experts.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

– 30 –

For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Tamara Latinovic, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca

Angela Keller-Herzog, Executive Director, Community Action for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES), akellerherzog@cafesottawa.ca