Why is OC Transpo installing natural gas generators for a zero-emission bus project?
The pair of four-megawatt generators are expected to be installed at the 1500 St-Laurent Blvd. garage by September.
By Natasha Baldin, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 11, 2026 | Last updated 5 hours ago
Two large natural gas generators are being installed at OC Transpo’s garage on St-Laurent Boulevard, where the city’s growing fleet of e-buses will be stored and charged.
The pair of heavy-duty four-megawatt machines are part of a larger project to retrofit the garage with the electrical and structural capacity for hundreds of new zero-emission buses.
Around 111 e-buses were part of OC Transpo’s fleet, according to the transit agency’s update on May 15, and the city is working toward a goal of having 350 e-buses in service by the end of 2027.
With those buses comes a multi-million-dollar price tag to install charging infrastructure and to upgrade the electrical grid, which includes a 13.8-kilovolt substation and a new Hydro Ottawa distribution system.
City reports say one natural-gas generator costs around $14 million.
According to the city, the natural gas-powered generators are expected to be ready in September and will serve two purposes: to provide backup electricity during power outages; and to minimize electricity costs at the facility during peak periods.
But what exactly does this mean, and why are generators powered by fossil fuels part of Ottawa’s zero-emission bus strategy?
<more>
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/oc-transpo-natural-gas-generators-buses
Threaded Mode