It's dirty, expensive and unreliable. Diesel generators provide electricity for more than a dozen First Nations in the northwest. Jody Porter visits North Spirit Lake's diesel plant. 7:12

First Nations planning to extend Ontario's power grid hundreds of kilometres into the province's remote north say getting their communities off diesel generators could save millions of dollars.

In May, the Ontario government is expected to designate the transmission line extension as a priority project, and the First Nations-led Wataynikaneyap Power hopes to be selected as the company to build it.

Meanwhile, 25 First Nations in the province remain reliant on diesel generators to provide electricity to their growing communities. Residents say it's a dirty, unreliable and expensive way to create power.

Here are some of the costs of that diesel power in one First Nation, by the numbers: