Pumped Storage Project

July 21, 2026 – Council will consider a proposed Pre-Development Agreement related to the Ontario Pumped Storage Project at the July 27th Council meeting.

The proposed agreement would be in place for three years (2026 – 2028), with an option to extend to a fourth year. The proposed timeline aligns with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) review process and the anticipated timing of a Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Ontario Pumped Storage Project. The agreement could provide up to $1.355 million annually to the Municipality and community groups. The agreement could provide up to $3.24 million over three years in discretionary funding directly to the Municipality.

Download the Pre-Development Agreement overview.

Read the full news release here.

May 29, 2026 – IAAC will be hosting a virtual Public Information Session to provide an overview of the project, the impact assessment process, IAAC’s decision that an impact assessment of the project is required, and the key issues set out in the Summary of Issues.  

This session will take place on June 18, 2026, from 5-7 PM Eastern Daylight Time. 

The meeting can be accessed at the following ZOOM link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85346157022

February 12, 2026 – The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) hosted an information session on the Ontario Pumped Storage Hydropower Project on February 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Meaford Hall. Below are frequently asked questions from the session provided by IAAC.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can the public provide comments and concerns to Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) regarding the proposed Ontario Pumped Storage Hydropower Project?

IAAC will hold a 30-day public comment period that will begin when IAAC accepts an Initial Project Description for the project from the proponent. The purpose of this comment period is for the public and Indigenous communities to provide comments on the Summary of the Initial Project Description. Your comments will help inform IAAC’s decision on whether an impact assessment is required for the project under section 16(1) of the Impact Assessment Act. If an impact assessment is required, your comments would inform the identification of key issues for the assessment.

Should an impact assessment be required, there will be other opportunities to provide comment to IAAC. Please note that comments are accepted at any time during the impact assessment process and can be submitted through the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry internet site.   

Public comments and documents received by IAAC are posted to the Registry as part of the Project file. IAAC protects information submitted based on IAAC’s Submission Policy. For further information on how we protect your privacy, please refer to IAAC’s Privacy Notice. If you do not want your comment posted on the Registry, please contact IAAC prior to submitting the comment.

Will proponent materials be made public, and if so, where will they be available?

The project page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry internet site will be online at the start of the 30-day comment period on the summary of the Initial Project Description. This will also be the start of the Planning phase of the impact assessment process. All materials and studies that the proponent provides to IAAC as part of the Planning phase and, if required, the federal impact assessment process, will be made available to the public through posting to the project page.

Is the project a Project of National Interest under the Building Canada Act?

At this time, the project has not been referred to the Major Projects Office for further assessment and consultations; a step which would be required before a project can be  designated as a Project of National Interest under the Building Canada Act. A full list of projects that have been referred to the Major Projects Office is available on their website.

Will the province of Ontario be conducting an environmental assessment of the project?

Based on what IAAC understands at this time, the project components proposed on federal lands are under federal jurisdiction and will therefore not be subject to provincial permits, authorizations or approvals; however, the project components proposed off federal lands will be subject to all necessary provincial permits, authorizations and approvals.

IAAC is currently working with the Province of Ontario to identify applicable provincial regulatory permits and approvals, including whether a provincial environmental assessment is required for the project components off federal lands.

For additional information: Impact Assessment Agency of Canada – Canada.ca

April 1, 2025 – The Municipality of Meaford is asking for input from residents, community groups, and local businesses on a new Community Benefits Agreement By-law. This by-law would set rules for big projects that aren’t covered by the Planning Act. It is meant to help Meaford and its residents understand how these projects could affect the community. This by-law is especially important for large projects like the proposed Pumped Storage Project, but it would also apply to other developments in the future. Learn more here.

• Read the proposed by-law

January 29, 2025 – The Ontario government is investing up to $285 million to advance pre-development work on the Ontario Pumped Storage Project in the Municipality of Meaford. This project is a TC Energy (TCE) and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation partnership. This investment is a significant step toward strengthening Ontario’s clean energy future and creating new economic opportunities for the region.

April 30, 2024 – The committee members represent a diverse cross-section of expertise and experiences and will work to facilitate collaborative learning and information exchange regarding TC Energy’s proposed Pumped Storage Project. 

March 11, 2024 – The Terms of Reference will provide a platform for collaborative learning and informed decision-making for TC Energy’s proposed Pumped Storage Project. Committee members will explore community interests and concerns and provide advice to Council. 

• Read the Terms of Reference 
• Updated Terms of Reference for the Pumped Storage Advisory Committee (Oct 6)

November 13, 2023 – Council authorizes the execution of an agreement with Ainley Group to perform an enhanced project management role for the TCE Pumped Storage project and to establish an internal working group consisting of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, (Interim) CAO, Director of Engineering and Director of Development Services, plus a County of Grey representative and any other staff deemed necessary by the CAO, to lead the Municipality’s work on this project.

• Read the Council Minutes 

July 10, 2023 – StrategyCorp, a government relations and management consulting firm, will be focused on negotiating a community benefit agreement that will outline commitments of TC Energy and the Municipality. The Ainley Group, an Ontario-based engineering and planning consulting firm, will conduct independent peer reviews of TC Energy’s studies and other work.

February 27, 2023 – Council of the Municipality of Meaford passed a motion expressing conditional support for the construction and operation of the proposed TransCanada Energy Ltd. Pumped Storage facility. The motion provided four conditions that must be met for the Municipality to fully support the project. 

• Read the Motion

July 28, 2021 – Agreement to develop a 1,000 MW Pumped Storage facility on a portion of land within the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford. 

• Read the Media Advisory

November 4, 2019 – Update to council on information that the Municipality had received from the Department of National Defence / TC Energy, the initial discussions with them, the scope of the approval process including public consultation opportunities and a summary of the concerns received to date by the Municipality.

• Read the Report

Pumped storage uses water and gravity to store and generate electricity. It’s like a battery, ready to respond to various power demands. At night, when demand for electricity is low, and clean electricity like wind and nuclear electricity is in excess, pumped storage would withdraw water from Georgian Bay and temporarily store it in a newly constructed upper reservoir. When demand for electricity is high, the water will be released down through the same pipes where it spins turbines and generates electricity for the grid. 

TC Energy is currently seeking approval from the Federal and Provincial governments to construct and operate a 1,000 MW Pumped Storage facility on a portion of land within the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford. You can find out more information on TC’s project here: https://www.ontariopumpedstorage.com/ 

In July 2021, TC reached an agreement with the Department of National Defence, subject to conditions and regulatory approval, to allow for the development of a 1,000-megawatt pumped storage facility on federal lands. To read the full media advisory from TC Energy please visit: https://www.tcenergy.com/announcements/2021/2021-07-28-media-advisory—tc-energy-reaches-agreement-with-national-defence-to-develop-proposed-world-class-pumped-storage-project/ 

The Pumped Storage Advisory Committee was formed by the Municipality of Meaford to expand project awareness and facilitate opportunities for community engagement on TC Energy’s proposed Pumped Storage Project. Please note that the Pumped Storage Advisory Committee was dissolved on April 13, 2026.

Residents can get involved in a variety of ways through various studies and activities including communicating with members of Council and providing feedback to the Federal Impact Assessment and the Provincial Environmental Assessment processes. 

For updates on TC Energy’s proposed Pumped Storage Project please visit their website: https://www.ontariopumpedstorage.com/whats-new/ 

For the latest on how Meaford is preparing for this large infrastructure project please visit: www.meaford.ca/PumpedStorage 

TC Energy Corporation (formerly TransCanada Corporation) is a major North American energy company, based in Calgary, Alberta that develops and operates energy infrastructure (natural gas and nuclear power facilities) in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. 

The Municipality has received feedback from residents expressing concerns about different aspects of the project. In response, we are committed to initiating a thorough public engagement process to ensure that community concerns are fully understood and thoughtfully addressed. 

If developed, the facility would be located on the existing Canadian Army’s 4th Canadian Division Training Centre, north of Meaford, Ontario. 

In order for the Municipality of Meaford to understand community impacts and interests regarding TC Energy’s proposed Pumped Storage Project, the municipality with undertake an independent technical review process as well as a community engagement and learning process.