The Ontario government announced today it supports long-term planning and consultation work to explore nuclear expansion options at Bruce Power.
Minister of Energy, Todd Smith, announced the support today.
Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck says in a statement, “Nuclear power has been the stable backbone of Ontario’s clean electricity system for decades and Bruce Power is ready to play an integral role in addressing the province’s clean energy needs, while supporting good jobs and economic prosperity for the future.”
He explains “We are advancing long-term planning and consultation activities to determine how the site can further contribute to Ontario’s clean energy and economic development goals.”
Bruce Power says in a release, it produces 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity on fewer than 1,000 hectares of land with, “space for incremental infrastructure development while protecting the environment.”
The release says, the provincial government will provide support for Bruce Power to begin the planning and consultation work to meet federal regulatory requirements.
It says the process will be used as a planning and early engagement tool for potential future large infrastructure projects.
It adds, “The process will benefit from early community engagement and nearly 50-years of nuclear plant operation at the Bruce Power site with a well understood, studied and verified environmental footprint.”
Bruce Power says the long-term planning and consultation activities will not impact the company’s Life-Extension Program that will secure the site’s operation through 2064.