The Ontario government’s decision yesterday to approve a $26.8-billion refurbishment of Pickering Nuclear Generating Station Units 5–8 is a costly and high-risk choice, according to Environmental Defence, an environmental advocacy organization.
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe, however, welcomed the decision. “Fantastic announcement at Pickering Nuclear today”, while pointing out that it will add about 30,000+ jobs.
The project is expected to create approximately 30,500 jobs during refurbishment, while sustaining 6,700 jobs throughout the station’s operation, said an Ontario statement.
Provincial Energy Minister Stephen Lecce yesterday announced the Ontario government has approved Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to refurbish four CANDU nuclear reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. The refurbishment will extend the facility’s operations for up to 38 years.
2,200 MW To Power 2.2 Million Homes
Pending final licensing approvals from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), OPG will begin the Project Execution Phase to refurbish Pickering “B” units 5 to 8 in early 2027, with completion expected by the mid-2030s. Once completed, Pickering will generate an increased capacity of up to 2,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, equivalent to powering 2.2 million homes.
The Pickering “B” refurbishment is also expected to secure a long-term supply of Cobalt-60, a life-saving medical isotope used worldwide in cancer treatments and in the sterilization of medical equipment and food products, while supporting the government’s work to double the number of medical isotopes produced in the province over the next four years.
Push Electricity Bills Higher
However, Environmental Defence pointed out that the project will push electricity bills higher, increase pollution, and sideline the clean-energy solutions Ontario urgently needs.
“Committing to refurbish Pickering—already one of the oldest nuclear stations in North America—adds more risk to an already risky strategy. And because Pickering’s reactors will be offline for most of the next decade before returning to service in the mid-2030s, the government plans to burn significantly more gas in the meantime—driving electricity-sector emissions from a near-zero low of 2.5 megatonnes to 20 megatonnes by 2030, wiping out most of the gains Ontario made in phasing out coal,” said the advocacy.
It said the government claims the refurbishment will create nearly 37,000 jobs, but this does not change the fundamental reality: nuclear is one of the most expensive sources of electricity. Wind and solar are now the lowest-cost sources of new power worldwide, including here in Ontario. Meanwhile, nuclear remains a key driver of the recent 29 per cent increase in electricity rates. The government is masking the true cost by shifting expenses onto the tax base—but taxpayers and ratepayers are the same people, and they will ultimately cover the bill.