[3] The plant was initially shut down in April 2014 as part of Ontario's phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation,[4] before being converted to run on advanced biomass (wood pellets) and recommissioned on February 9, 2015.

The station occupies 53 ha (131 acres) on Mission Island, at the mouth of the Kaministiquia River delta on Thunder Bay.

[5] While operating as a coal plant, annual production was approximately 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), enough energy to supply over 100,000 households for one year.

The Ontario government initially proposed conversion to natural gas in 2004 but subsequently canceled that plan in 2006.

[11] Chiarelli noted that the station will have only one unit operating as a peaking plant and that OPG is only permitted to purchase 15,000 tonnes of fuel annually.

The Thunder Bay Generating Station ranked within the top 200 facility emitters, according to Environment Canada.