As Ottawa continues to grow – with an emphasis on housing supply and affordability – dependable, cost-effective energy infrastructure is a key enabler of city building and economic development. Enbridge Gas continues to work with the City of Ottawa’s community and economic growth teams to plan for safe, reliable services for its local residential and business customers.
“Natural gas, and Enbridge Gas, play a strong role in making that vision a reality,” says Jennifer Burnham, president of Enbridge Gas Ontario. “Reliable, affordable energy gives businesses the confidence to invest, helps unlock capital, and supports regional economic development, while also contributing to a stable municipal tax base that helps cities like Ottawa plan and grow.”
“Enbridge Gas is a proud partner of the City of Ottawa,” she adds. “We’ve worked closely with the city for many years through local planning conversations with developers and other utilities, and through engagement with the business community, to support the long-term economic growth Ottawa is planning for.”
Investing in infrastructure where it’s needed most
That collaboration includes data sharing and participation in planning conversations so communities can make informed growth decisions and utilities can target investments where they are needed most.
“Sharing information helps us understand how partners need us to support them, so we can make informed decisions on where infrastructure should be to enable growth,” Burnham explains. “It’s crucial we collaborate to build the right infrastructure in the right place and at the right time. And that coordinated planning can’t be done in a vacuum.”
Enbridge Gas invests in both new and existing infrastructure, to ensure Ottawa has the dependable, reliable energy it needs to meet customer needs and support growth across the city.
A clear Ottawa example is the St. Laurent Pipeline Replacement Project, a $208.7 million investment to modernize critical infrastructure in the National Capital Region. Enbridge Gas is replacing approximately 14.4 km of pipeline located along St. Laurent Boulevard, Sandridge Road, and Tremblay Road, enhancing safety and reliability in a vital part of the region’s distribution network.
The St. Laurent Pipeline directly and indirectly supplies natural gas to approximately 168,000 homes, businesses, and institutions across Ottawa and the surrounding area, including Gatineau. These customers – including hospitals, City Hall, Parliament Hill, RCMP Headquarters, and the Cliff Street heating plant – depend on reliable energy for daily operations.
Three of every four homes in Ottawa use natural gas, underscoring how foundational this infrastructure is to daily life and economic activity.
Energy storage that helps keep cities running
Enbridge’s storage and transmission assets are critical to maintaining reliability and price stability for all of Ontario’s communities – including Ottawa – especially during peak winter demand conditions.
The Enbridge Gas Dawn Hub is a storage and transmission network that acts as a giant battery to help balance Ontario’s energy needs, especially during peak periods.
“We purchase natural gas in the summertime, when costs are lower, and store it underground at our Dawn Hub storage facility,” says Burnham. “Throughout the colder months, when demand spikes, we instantly extract the stored gas from the Dawn Hub and out our transmission lines across southwestern Ontario, and feed it up into northern and eastern Ontario at a reduced cost than if we had to buy gas on the spot market.
“When the cold weather hit in January, during the peak hour of the coldest day, our system delivered the energy equivalent of more than six times Ontario’s nuclear fleet. You need that scale to maintain that reliability and affordability on those extreme cold days,” she adds.
Enbridge Gas is also focused on demand-side management and energy efficiency programs, and commends Ontario for its integrated energy planning approach.
“We have a strong focus on energy efficiency, whether you’re a residential, commercial, or industrial customer, and we’re actively helping our customers reduce the amount of natural gas they consume through our suite of programs,” Burnham elaborates.
She says Enbridge Gas works with customers to help them manage their energy use, reduce costs, and support their growth goals by connecting them to eligible programs and incentives.
This article first appeared in the 2026 City Building in the April Magazine. That publication is available in it’s digital format below: