Ontario plans to extend life of Pickering nuclear plant, eyes refurbishment
Ontario is considering refurbishing a key nuclear plant, which could keep it in service for an extra 30 years, to keep pace with electricity demands that are rising so quickly they have "surprised" the government, the energy minister said Thursday.
Pickering Nuclear Generating Station -- which accounted for 14 per cent of electricity generation last year -- had been set to shut down in 2025, but the province is now seeking approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to extend that to September 2026, Energy Minister Todd Smith announced.
Beyond that, the plant may still have the potential to power a portion of the province for decades to come, Smith said, and the province has asked Ontario Power Generation to do a refurbishment feasibility assessment.
The Independent Electricity System Operator recently said that it was confident it could fill the electricity supply gap created by Pickering coming off-line -- and other units undergoing refurbishment -- through new procurements that will heavily rely on natural gas, at least in the short term.
But Smith suggested that "unprecedented growth" in Ontario means the province may need to harness the large-scale capacity of Pickering for a while longer.
"I think that growth has surprised even Premier (Doug) Ford and our team," he said at a news conference Thursday.
Smith pointed to new electric vehicle and EV battery manufacturing coming to the province, as well as steelmakers using electric arc furnaces.
"One of the things as we were exploring opportunities on how we fill that (supply) gap is we've got an existing asset here that has a proven track record of providing safe and reliable electricity and affordable electricity every day ... We have to be able to ensure that as we continue to see investment in our province, that the power is going to be there."
Extending Pickering for a year gives more of a cushion for the generation from the new procurements to come online, Smith said.
Interim NDP Leader Peter Tabuns suggested the government should have started anticipating and planning for the supply gap much sooner.
"Premier Doug Ford failed to plan for Ontario's energy needs and that's put the province in a bind," he said in a statement.
"The Conservatives cancelled and dismantled low-price renewable energy generation, then had to sign contracts last month to ratchet up very expensive gas-fired power."
The Progressive Conservatives removed a requirement put in place by the former Liberal government to update the province's long-term energy plan by February 2021. The last plan was published in 2017.
IESO projections show a growing supply gap of electricity, as broader electrification takes off, particularly in the transportation sector.
Demand from growth in electric vehicles and electrifying public transportation is expected to rise much more quickly starting in about 2035. Around then, the projected gap between needed and available electricity is expected to hit 5,000 megawatts -- enough to power five million homes -- during the summer, even if all current power producers renew their contracts.
The longer-term procurement is looking to include more non-emitting resources to the generation portfolio, including small modular nuclear reactors.
Smith has also asked the IESO to report back on the potential for a moratorium on new natural gas generation, as well as a plan to get to zero emissions in the electricity sector. The current reliance on natural gas means greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector are set to increase.
At the Thursday announcement, Smith stressed the emissions-free nature of nuclear power. Keeping Pickering operational to 2026 will reduce emissions by 2.1 million tonnes that year, akin to taking 640,000 cars off the road, Smith said.
He also said keeping the plant operational will save thousands of jobs in the interim.
Ken Hartwick, OPG's president and CEO, said Pickering will be able to run safely until 2026. He answered questions about the costs of extending its life by a year by saying it will be a "net ratepayer benefit."
The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters welcomed the refurbishment potential, saying it would ensure reliable power for producers of electric vehicles, green steel and critical minerals, as well as creating more than 1,000 manufacturing jobs during the construction phase of refurbishment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.