Bruce Power could be expanding its output in the 2030s, after the provincial government announced plans to begin developing a new reactor at the local plant.
Energy Minister Todd Smith made the announcement at Bruce Power on Wednesday morning, saying the pre-development process would begin to bring another reactor to the region.
"It means Bruce Power is going to start community consultations, they're going to conduct the environmental assessment for federal approval, to determine the feasibility of siting up to 4,800 megawatts of new nuclear generation on this current site here in Bruce County," he said.
The announcement is part of the provincial governments plans to address growing energy needs, citing an Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) report that forecasts Ontario could need to more than double its electricity generation capacity by 2050.
"Bruce Power is ready to play an integral role in addressing the province’s future needs, while supporting good jobs and economic prosperity for the future,” said Mike Rencheck, President and CEO of Bruce Power. “We are starting the federal Impact Assessment process to look at new nuclear generation on our site now, to maximize the future optionality for clean electricity in the province.”
The company says long-term planning and consultation activities will not impact their Life-Extension Program that will secure the site’s operation through 2064.
There's no firm timeline on when the new reactor would be deployed, with Smith saying it could require "a lead time of a decade or more."