The electricity coming into your home this winter might not be generated in Ontario, but rather from a surprising source.The province’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has signed a deal to import 600 megawatts worth of American electricity through the winter months to offset any shortages that might come up here at home. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.The move to bring electricity in from the United States is a curious one, given the multiple threats from Premier Doug Ford as a result of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.“It’s very ironic,” says Jack Gibbons, the chair of Ontario Clean Air Alliance. “The premier has been repeatedly threatening to cut off electricity exports to the United States. But now he goes and signs a contract to import power from the United States.”A year and a half ago, Ford said he would not hesitate to “shut the electricity off completely” while announcing a 25 per cent surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S., only to remove it a day later.The IESO says Ontario is exporting nearly seven times more electricity than it imported in 2025, telling CityNews in a statement, “As part of normal system planning, Ontario regularly imports and exports power with neighbouring jurisdictions, including to support seasonal demand and periods of peak electricity use.”The contract with Alpha Generation was the “only viable alternative,” according to the IESO, while exporting to other provinces at the same time.Gibbon says the move leaves Ontario in a vulnerable position.“That makes us very vulnerable to President Trump because if he was to cut off those electricity exports, potentially the lights could go out in Ontario.”The Ontario Clean Air Alliance is not just critical of where the power is coming from, but how it’s generated.“This is the wrong way to go. It’s high-cost power, it’s expensive power, and it’ll push up our bills. And we had better alternatives. We should have been investing in wind and solar and battery storage.”Analysts say this is not just an isolated case either, noting that until Ontario is able to increase the capacity it says it will, chances are there will be more demand in the near future.Electricity rebate cut means higher billsMeanwhile, Ontarians will see a reduction in the rebate they see on their electric bills.Currently the rebate covers 23.5 per cent of a consumer’s electricity bill, but it will be slashed by almost one-third to 15.7 per cent starting in November. That means the average household could see a $12 increase in their bill.“I’m frankly shocked,” said NDP MPP Jamie West, the party’s energy critic. “Instead of tackling these costs and fighting for them, Doug Ford is basically telling the people of Ontario to get used to higher rates.”West says the government needs to come up with a new approach when it comes to electricity costs.“Their plan was just the rebate and when they ran out of room on it, it’s like a credit card bill – when they got to their max limit they said ‘well, we can’t do this anymore’ but there is no secondary plan.”A statement from Ontario’s energy minister says, “We continue to provide targeted relief to support families and businesses, including assistance for low-income households and seniors.”The electricity rebate, which was first introduced by the Ford government in 2019, cost taxpayers more than $2 billion last year.680NewsRadio’s Richard Southern contributed to this report