The Government of Ontario introduced Bill 40, the Protect Ontario by Securing Affordable Energy for Generations Act, targeting significant changes in the administration and regulation of Ontario's electricity system. The Bill emphasizes economic growth by aligning the Electricity Act and Ontario Energy Board Act with the Government of Ontario's policies to support job creation and energy development. It introduces amendments to the acts to prioritize economic decision-making, transmission development, and data center growth. Notably, the Bill expands the purposes of the Electricity Act to include fostering a hydrogen market, particularly low carbon hydrogen projects, to be funded through the newly established $30M Hydrogen Innovation Fund. Furthermore, the Bill focuses on enabling data center growth by setting connection requirements for certain load facilities like data centers. It also proposes measures to facilitate transmission development through authorizing payments to transmitters and considering economic growth in decision-making processes. Additionally, the Bill addresses tariff-driven restrictions and allows utilities to invest in implementing new restrictions on foreign participants in the energy sector. While the Bill is poised to drive energy sector advancements, the detailed implementation and alignment with regulatory mandates remain to be seen, potentially affecting how economic growth will be integrated into the operations of the IESO and OEB. Foreign participants in Ontario's energy sector will need to adapt to the changes brought about by the Bill, building on the foundation laid by existing legislation such as Bill 5.