Ontario is selling another 15 per cent of Hydro One (H.TO) – bringing to 30 per cent the private stake in the massive electricity company – as it pushes forward with a controversial privatisation plan.

The province is expecting to rake in $1.7-billion from selling 72.4-million shares to be sold starting Wednesday. If that sale goes well, it will sell an additional 10.8-million, pushing the total haul up to $2-billion.

Of the money coming in, the government is planning to put 56 per cent towards paying down debt and the other 44 per cent into the Trillium Trust for building infrastructure.

Premier Kathleen Wynne is planning to sell a total of 60 per cent of Hydro One on the stock market, for roughly $9-billion.

The sale is now roughly half complete.

The privatisation has proven broadly unpopular, with both opposition parties, unions and a majority of Ontarians against the sale. But Ms. Wynne has insisted it is necessary to raise money to pay for public transit expansion.