Ontario Hydro & Energy Sector Salaries: Inside the Sunshine List
Top Energy Employers by Payroll (2025)
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) accounts for nearly 90% of the sector’s entire Sunshine List payroll — $1.76 billion across 10,346 employees. The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), which manages Ontario’s electricity grid in real time, ranks second with $160.5 million across 1,002 employees.
OPG’s workforce grew by 35% between 2022 and 2025 — from 8,228 to 10,346 employees on the Sunshine List — driven by nuclear refurbishment hiring at Darlington and Pickering.
Growth of Ontario’s Energy Sector Payroll (2006–2025)
The sector’s total Sunshine List payroll hit $990 million in 2006. By 2025 it had nearly doubled to $1.97 billion. The visible dip around 2015 reflects Ontario Hydro’s restructuring — successor entities (OPG, Hydro One, IESO) were listed separately, compressing apparent headcount in transition years.
The sharpest acceleration came after 2022 as OPG ramped up hiring for its nuclear refurbishment programs — the largest nuclear projects in Canadian history.
The Province’s Highest Earners — All from Energy
The all-time Sunshine List records are held entirely by OPG executives. James Hankinson, OPG’s CEO in the late 2000s, remains the record holder at $2.475 million in 2008. Current CEO Kenneth Hartwick earned $1.907 million in 2025 — the top salary in Ontario’s entire public sector, and roughly three times more than Ontario’s highest-paid police chief.
| # | Name | Employer | 2025 Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenneth Hartwick | Ontario Power Generation | $1,907,408 |
| 2 | Nicolle Butcher | Ontario Power Generation | $1,596,218 |
| 3 | Steve Gregoris | Ontario Power Generation | $1,092,854 |
| 4 | Aida Cipolla | Ontario Power Generation | $1,013,496 |
| 5 | Subo Sinnathamby | Ontario Power Generation | $981,475 |
| 6 | Mark Knutson | Ontario Power Generation | $856,947 |
| 7 | Jon Franke | Ontario Power Generation | $826,655 |
| 8 | Shelley Babin | Ontario Power Generation | $748,469 |
| 9 | Brenda Macdonald | Ontario Power Generation | $727,478 |
| 10 | Lesley Gallinger | IESO | $708,319 |
| 11 | David Kaposi | Ontario Power Generation | $701,431 |
| 12 | Paul Seguin | Ontario Power Generation | $696,667 |
| 13 | Si Truong | Ontario Power Generation | $673,027 |
| 14 | Boris Vulanovic | Ontario Power Generation | $650,523 |
| 15 | Dragan Popovic | Ontario Power Generation | $636,305 |
OPG’s Average Salary Over Time
OPG’s average disclosed salary has risen from $136,587 in 2010 to $170,201 in 2025 — a 25% increase over 15 years. The steepest jump came after 2022, reflecting both general wage increases and a shift in workforce mix toward higher-skilled nuclear engineering and project management roles.
Why Are Energy Salaries So High?
Nuclear expertise is globally scarce. Operating and refurbishing CANDU reactors requires specialized skills that command an international premium. OPG’s Darlington and Pickering refurbishment programs — the largest nuclear projects in Canadian history — have driven a major hiring surge, and most of those roles clear the $100,000 Sunshine List threshold.
OPG competes with the private sector. Unlike school boards or police services, OPG benchmarks compensation against oil and gas, mining, and private power companies — not against other public sector employers.
The $100K threshold hasn’t moved since 1996. At 2025 wages, it captures a much broader slice of the workforce than originally intended — including skilled tradespeople and mid-level specialists who would not have appeared on the list in earlier years.
About This Data
All figures are drawn from Ontario’s Public Sector Salary Disclosure, published annually by the Ministry of Finance. Figures reflect base salary and taxable benefits as reported. This analysis covers employers in the energy and utilities sector. Search individual salary histories at ontario-sunshinelist.org.