It didn’t get a lot of media attention last week, but Ontario Energy Minister Stephen Lecce scored a political win for the government with the first-ever summit of interprovincial-territorial energy ministers.
Called “Connecting Canada: Building an Energy Superpower,” the overall purpose of putting all the country’s energy ministers in one room, was to keep pressure on Ottawa to remove the red tape that continues to strangle new energy projects.
But it also gave Lecce an opportunity to showcase Ontario’s progress and commitment to expanding nuclear power in the province, a clear sub-theme of the conference.
Right now, when you turn on that light switch or TV, about 50 percent of that power is coming from Ontario’s nuclear plants – Darlington, Bruce and Pickering. By way of comparison, approximately 18 percent of America’s power comes from nuclear.
The Ontario Government’s goal is to increase its nuclear power supply to 75 percent as existing plants are refurbished and expanded. The plan also includes completion of the “small modular reactor” (SMR) project at Darlington, the first such reactor of its kind among G7 nations. Scheduled to be up and running by 2029, it is expected to produce some 18,000 high tech jobs along the way.
It will be none too soon, given the increased demands being placed on the province’s electrical grid from consumers, extreme weather events, electrical vehicles and computer data centres – to name a few.
The Independent Electricity System Operator, (IESO), the organization that manages the province’s overall energy supply, predicts that Ontario could need the output of the equivalent of five more Darlington nuclear plants by 2030.
That’s a tall order but successfully meeting that demand will be a crucial factor in whether government can build the kind of economic supports the country needs to withstand tariff challenges from south of the border.
Darlington’s refurbishment projects are scheduled to be complete by 2026. Bruce should be done by 2033. Pickering is in the final approval stages, but work is currently scheduled to start in 2027.
Canada is well positioned to be more self sufficient in nuclear power, given that it is home to one of the world’s only fully integrated nuclear fuel supply chain with Saskatchewan mines supplying the uranium and Ontario processing plants and final fabrication facilities processing it all into fuel.
Ontario is also leveraging this strength by becoming a long-term, reliable supplier of clean electricity to other jurisdictions across the country, having already signed several agreements with Manitoba and Quebec. Ministers at the conference pledged to continue to expand such interprovincial opportunities.
“Think about Nova Scotia’s offshore wind, Ontario’s nuclear, Quebec’s hydro…we need to connect these resources and build a Canada-first energy network,” said Lecce.
Lecce also noted that increasing nuclear power is displacing some 80 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, an important contribution to the nation’s fight against climate change.
Like all energy sources, nuclear is not without its challenges. Plants have proved expensive and major projects can take years to complete, often going over budget. It should be noted for those cynical about nuclear project forecasts on costs and timelines that the Unit 1 refurbishment at Darlington was finished ahead of schedule and on budget.
And then there is the challenge of disposing of nuclear waste. But progress has been made here as well, now that Ignace in northwest Ontario has been chosen for a disposal site.
The future of Canada’s and Ontario’s economy is being severely tested by the ongoing political turmoil and tariff challenges emitting from our southern neighbour. It is going to take a lot of work on many fronts to successfully overcome them. So, it is encouraging to see a room full of politicians, representing the country’s regions and different political parties, come together to identify and implement solutions. Meeting our energy challenges has to remain high on their to-do list.
Janet Ecker is a former Ontario Finance Minister, Minister of Education, Minister of Community and Social Services and Government House Leader in the governments of Premier Mike Harris and Premier Ernie Eves. After her political career, she served as the founding CEO of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance, a public-private partnership dedicated to building Toronto region into an international financial centre. She currently sits on a number of corporate and non-profit boards, agencies and advisory committees.
Ms. Ecker received the Order of Canada for her public service contributions and was recognized as one of the “Most Influential People in the World’s Financial Centres” by Financial Centres International. She also received a “Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award” from the Women’s Executive Network and the Richard Ivey School of Business, among other awards. She is also one of the founders of Equal Voice, a national, multi-partisan organization working to elect more women.
