The Ontario government is exploring the potential of building a nuclear power plant in Wesleyville in the Municipality of Port Hope.
According to a media release from the province on Wednesday (January 15), both Port Hope and Williams Treaties First Nations have expressed interest in the idea.
The Wesleyville site, located on the Lake Ontario waterfront around seven kilometres west of the Town of Port Hope, was originally intended to be an oil-fired power generation station before the 1979 oil shock and a recession brought construction to a halt. Since then, the site with its powerhouse and smokestack has sat dormant and has been maintained by Ontario Power Generation (OPG).
According to OPG, whose sole shareholder is the Ontario government, the 1,300-acre site could be an ideal location for a new large nuclear power plant, as it is also already zoned for electricity generation and is close to existing existing transmission, road, and railway infrastructure.
Based on OPG’s early assessments, the site could host up a nuclear power plant producing up to 10,000 megawatts of electricity, which could power the equivalent of 10 million homes.
“With energy demand in Ontario set to increase by 75 per cent by 2050, we are doing the early engagement and development work now that will ensure the province has options to meet that growing demand,” states Ontario’s minister of energy and electrification Stephen Lecce in the media release. “I’m excited to be continuing these conversations with Indigenous and municipal leaders to explore options for new nuclear generation at the Wesleyville site, including new good-paying jobs and other associated benefits.”
The Conference Board of Canada estimates that a new nuclear power plant would contribute $235 billion to Ontario’s gross domestic product over an estimated 95-year project life, including design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
A new nuclear power plant at Wesleyville would also support 10,500 jobs across Ontario, including 1,700 new jobs in Port Hope. The Municipality of Port Hope would also benefit from an estimated $10.5 million in increased municipal property taxes from the site.
In a November 29 letter to Port Hope mayor Olena Hankivsky, Lecce noted the Wesleyville site in Port Hope is one of three “ideal locations for future energy generation,” with the others in St Clair Township in Lambton County and Haldimand County.
“All of these sites are already zoned for energy generation, close to transmission infrastructure, and located in regions experiencing significant growth,” Lecce wrote, adding that “immediate funding of up to $1 million will be available upon request to the municipality” to explore nuclear power generation as an option at the site.
“This funding could be used at the discretion of the municipality to carry out related activities, such as an assessment of the municipal infrastructure improvements that would be required to support the siting of new generation; initial planning and economic development initiatives; and/or to offset the cost of municipal staff participation and other municipal expenditures incurred in the assessment of potential new generation,” Lecce noted.
After receiving Lecce’s letter, Port Hope municipal council unanimously passed a motion on December 17 to support “continued dialogue and engagement with Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the Ministry of Energy and Electrification, and local stakeholders to explore the development of clean energy generation projects at the Wesleyville site.”
“We look forward to engagement with our community and partners to carefully evaluate the potential benefits of this initiative, including infrastructure improvements, job creation, and enhanced municipal revenues, as well as any potential challenges or impacts,” Mayor Hankivsky states in the media release.
If the Municipality of Port Hope agrees to be a host municipality of a nuclear power plant at the Wesleyville site, the municipality could also access up to $30 million of provincial funding for associated infrastructure investments and to attract co-located industries.
However, should the project proceed, it will take up to 20 years before the plant is operational.
“Exploring new power generation is a complex and lengthy process that includes multiple opportunities for input and an ongoing program of public education and engagement,” OPG states on its website. “Should a new generation project be approved, a subsequent multi-year regulatory process is initiated with public input throughout, including through public regulatory hearings.”
According to OPG’s potential timeline for a new nuclear power plant at Wesleyville, regulatory approvals and agreements with the municipality and First Nations would be established in the late 2020s, with construction in the early 2030s to mid 2040s, and the plant in operation by the early to mid 2040s.
