Energy Minister Stephen Lecce’s nuclear ambitions are nothing short of astonishing. His latest proposal involves building a massive 10,000 megawatt nuclear station in Port Hope, almost three times the size of the existing Darlington Nuclear Station. This plan, coupled with his proposals for new nuclear reactors at Darlington and in Bruce County and the rebuilding of outdated reactors at Pickering, would meet 100% of Ontario’s predicted 75% rise in electricity demand over the next 25 years.
But at what cost? We could look at the cost estimates produced by the province’s own nuclear-friendly energy planner – the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). They estimate that electricity from new nuclear reactors would cost 2-3 times more than solar or wind power.
Of course, a decade or more will pass before any of these nuclear reactors pump out a single kilowatt-hour of electricity, requiring us to rely on polluting gas in the meantime. A solar or wind project, by contrast, could be completed in a matter of months. This matters if you think we need to start lowering our climate wrecking emissions now – not decades from now.
Moreover, the nuclear industry’s toxic legacy and lack of permanent storage solutions for high-level radioactive waste poses significant environmental risks (industry press releases and magical solutions aside).
The irony of the Port Hope announcement, made in a community that was contaminated by radioactive nuclear wastes, is not lost on us. That the federal government had to step in with a $1.28 billion clean-up to remove the wastes from people’s homes tells you a lot about how well the nuclear industry has handled its toxic legacy.
While Stephen Lecce’s plan to waste billions on high-cost new nuclear reactors will benefit Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Bruce Power and Cameco, it will raise electricity rates for Ontario’s families and businesses and lead to a more than 500% increase in dirty gas power as we wait for the new nuclear reactors to be built.
Fortunately, we have much better options to keep our lights on.
We can lower our electricity bills and phase-out gas power by 2035 by doubling our energy efficiency, tripling our wind and solar energy, and by investing in energy storage to convert variable wind and solar energy into a reliable 24/7 source of electricity.
Here are some actions Mr. Lecce can take now to triple our wind and solar power and lower our electricity bills:
1. Rescind the moratorium on Great Lakes wind power, which has the potential to meet 100% of our electricity needs.
2. Use OPG’s Port Hope generating station site to connect Lake Ontario offshore wind power to Hydro One’s high-voltage transmission grid.
3. Pay families and businesses (e.g., large parking lot owners) to provide rooftop solar power to Ontario’s electricity grid.
We urge Energy Minister Stephen Lecce to reconsider his nuclear plans and instead focus on renewable energy solutions. Please join us in calling on Minister Lecce to triple our wind and solar power by 2035 and create a low-cost, clean energy future for Ontario.