Darlington And Pickering Good For Jobs And Climate, CNA Says

OTTAWA (January 11, 2015) – The Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) supports Ontario’s decision to approve the Darlington nuclear power plant’s refurbishment and to extend operations at Pickering.

“This decision will provide a stable, low-carbon foundation for Ontario’s electricity system for decades,” said CNA President and CEO Dr. John Barrett. “It will also create thousands of jobs in Ontario over the coming decade.”

According to the Conference Board of Canada, the Darlington refurbishment will boost Ontario’s GDP by $14.8 billion from 2010 to 2026 and create an average of 8,800 jobs over the same period.

The Darlington station’s four nuclear reactors provide about 20 per cent of Ontario’s electrical supply. They entered service between 1990 and 1993.

OPG will invest $12.8 billion to replace key components, and to ensure that Darlington provides affordable, reliable electricity well into the 21st century.

Keeping Pickering running up to 2024 will help Ontario to hold down climate-changing emissions while reactors go through refurbishment at the Darlington and Bruce nuclear plants.

Without continuing Pickering’s service beyond 2020, Ontario could have needed more power from its natural gas plants. This option would have raised greenhouse gas emissions, declining since nuclear energy began to replace coal-fired generation a decade ago.

Nuclear energy plants emit no climate-changing greenhouse gases during power generation, just like hydro dams, wind turbines and solar panels. Like hydro, but unlike solar and wind, nuclear plants generate power around the clock in any weather.

These attributes enabled Ontario to abandon coal-fired generation, sharply reduce electrical-sector greenhouse gas emissions, and significantly reduce respiratory illnesses and deaths caused by air pollution from fossil fuels.

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For more information:

Malcolm Bernard
Director of Communications
613-237-4262