Ontario’s energy future? Clarington new nuclear, despite minister’s ‘energy agnostic’ comments

Nuclear may be the future for Ontario’s energy needs but new Energy Minister Stephen Lecce’s plans to add 5,000 megawatts of energy to the grid in the coming years are “energy agnostic,” with the new power a mix of natural gas, hydroelectric, renewables, nuclear and biomass.

While Chris Keefer, a climate and anti-pollution activist and President of Canadians for Nuclear Energy, would like to have seen Lecce declare a focus on nuclear energy going forward, the new minister’s comments do not concern him.

“Lecce has made other comments clearly demonstrating a centering of nuclear so I’m not worried,” Keefer noted.

The four small modular reactors under construction at the Darlington nuclear plant near Bowmanville will produce 1,200 megawatts – nearly a quarter of Ontario’s future new energy requirements, he added.

The province’s electricity demand is expected to grow by about two per cent each year but could be even higher depending on electrification within the broader economy.

Lecce said ground-mounted solar farms will be banned entirely on prime agricultural land to protect the province’s food producing areas – a statement Keefer is on board with – but the “real affront” is wind, Keefer said.

Ground-mounted solar farms will be banned entirely on prime agricultural land

“Production is dramatically out of phase with demand and goes completely AWOL in summer. In spring it largely displaces hydro, not gas.”

Hydroelectric is not likely to be much of an option either, he added, with just “tens of megawatts” possible.

“There’s very little hydro potential in Ontario. It’s remote and takes decades to develop. We’ll see lots of new gas and batteries though.”

The energy minister put some of the onus for future energy growth on local governments, saying energy companies must get municipal support to proceed.