January 18, 2011 - Ontario’s plans nuked: Blizzard
Ontario’s plans nuked: Blizzard
Why this province’s energy future is up in the air
News that both SNC Lavalin and Bruce Power may have dropped out of the bidding for troubled Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) leaves a gaping hole in the province’s energy plans. The federal government had put AECL up for sale. That threatens to wreak havoc with the province’s $87-billion energy plan, the backbone of which is nuclear. The long-term plan calls for the refurbishment of 10,000 megawatts (MW) and adding another 2,000 MWs at the Darlington site. In a telephone interview Tuesday, Duguid was critical of the federal government’s lack of support for the nuclear industry, but said the province will push ahead with its plans. “The federal government’s decision to restructure AECL put a wrinkle in our plans,” he said. He said they have increased generating capacity, which gives them a bit of breathing space. “Let there be no doubt: We will be building those units,” he said. So the issue becomes do you buy domestic — or do you buy foreign? The refurbishment of the aging Candu plants will likely have to be done by AECL — but it’s unlikely the technology for the new plants will be Canadian. Duguid says he wants to buy Canadian if possible. “The preference is to do that using domestic technology, using our own industry within Ontario and Canada,” he said, although he added he wants to get the best deal for taxpayers. “We stand behind the 70,000 workers in Canada who work in the industry,” he said. “I want to encourage the federal government to share our enthusiasm.” New Democratic energy critic Peter Tabuns said the Liberals are going to have to re-write their nuclear power plan. “Let’s face it, they’re basing almost half their investment or more on a company that may not exist in the next year or so,” Tabuns said. “That’s an awful lot of risk for a province to be taking with its energy system.” The loss of AECL doesn’t necessarily mean the end of those high-paying jobs in the nuclear industry. You can’t build a nuclear plant in, say, France or the U.S. — where the chief competitors to build the new units are located — and ship it here. You build it here. You need homegrown designers and physicists. You need skilled workers such as welders, electricians and pipefitters. It’s a terrible shame that the end of AECL as we know it likely means the end of the once proud Candu brand. But it’s not the end of the nuclear industry here. Or it shouldn’t be. The Pickering nuclear plant is old and will reach the end of its life between 2020 and 2022. Meanwhile, it will take between eight and 10 years to get a new plant built. So we have to start now — or risk this province’s economy if we don’t have enough electricity. There’s even some suggestion within the industry that instead of building large 1,200 or 1,400 MW units in a few locations, it makes greater sense to build smaller 150 MW nuclear units closer to where the juice is needed. That way you save money on transmission costs. If nuclear is the backbone of our energy system, the jobs it brings are the lifeblood to the many communities that rely on it for their livelihood. Let’s make sure we save as many of these vital jobs as well can
