Energy use at hospitals in Oshawa and Ajax are expected to be chopped by one-third, thanks to “transformative” infrastructure and sustainability upgrades being implemented at the two facilities.

Lakeridge Health, Enbridge Sustain, the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Blackstone Energy Services are teaming up to launch the next phase of an initiative to modernize critical hospital systems, reduce disruptions and create healthier indoor environments. The initiative is expected to significantly reduce energy use by roughly one-third of current utility consumption while exceeding 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets and creating more efficient facilities at Ajax-Pickering and Oshawa Hospitals.

“This self-funded upgrade shows how smart financial decisions can strengthen patient care,” said Lakeridge Health Chief Financial Officer Chris Squire. “By cutting energy use and emissions and improving reliability, we’re creating cleaner, more resilient hospitals and keeping more resources where they matter most: with patients.”

No price tag for the initiative has been released but the upgrades are being delivered through a turnkey utility services program and funded entirely through operational savings, requiring no upfront capital from Lakeridge Health.

The upgrades support stable temperatures, reliable power, and uninterrupted care, said Matthew Cannon, a senior director of Infrastructure and Capital Development with Lakeridge Health.

Some of the upgrades include installing Combined Heat & Power plants, converting steam to hot water systems, adding solar panels and replacing thousands of fluorescent lights with LEDs.

Cannon said the initiative “shows what’s possible” when partners come together with patients and community at heart. “Working with Enbridge Sustain, the CIB, and Blackstone Energy Services, we’re creating hospital spaces that are more comfortable, reliable, and sustainable. We’re incredibly proud of this effort and what it means for the people of Durham Region.”

Enbridge Sustain executives said the upgrades are a “living example” of what can be accomplished with organizations working together to “translate goals into reality, with tangible outcomes.”

“These improvements are expected to achieve significant reductions in energy use,” said Vice President Mark Irvine. “They will also help Lakeridge Health avoid capital costs, maintain predictable monthly expenses, and deliver efficiency and financial benefits for years to come.”

The Canada Infrastructure Bank is also happy to play a role in the initiative, with Investments Director Dima Zreik saying the upgrades will enable retrofits that “will help Ontario institutions like Lakeridge Health achieve ambitious energy efficiency goals.”

Blackstone Energy Services President Tim Schneiderr called the energy-saving program “a testament to the power of strategic collaboration and what can be achieved when we align around the needs of patients, clinicians, and the broader community.”

Schneider said the partnership will deliver a solution that “modernizes critical infrastructure, strengthens energy resilience, and supports a healthier environment” across the region, while creating facilities that are “not only more efficient and reliable but truly built for the future of healthcare.”

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