Call for an independent, public review of the costs of nuclear stations in Ontario

Ontario’s electricity rates keep on rising. 45% of the rise in Ontario’s electricity generation costs is due to subsidies for our aging nuclear reactors, according to an Ontario Energy Board report. No nuclear project has delivered on time or on budget in Ontario’s history.  As a taxpayer, you are on the hook for the costs of a nuclear disaster. No private company will fully insure high risk nuclear stations.

There is another option.  Low cost water power from Quebec can replace high cost electricity from the Darlington nuclear station. This would reduce our provincial debt by $12.9 billion and save ratepayers over $750 million per year. In spite of all of this, Ontario has never conducted an independent review of nuclear costs or alternatives to nuclear power.

This is why we’re calling for a full, independent public review of the costs of and alternatives to rebuilding Bruce B Nuclear Station and the Darlington Nuclear Station. Please sign our petition today >>

In addition to rising rates, Ontario still does not have a plan for storing radioactive nuclear waste, nor does it have a public emergency plan to deal with a Fukushima-scale nuclear accident. Yet, the Liberal government is on the verge of spending billions to rebuild aging nuclear plants. Wasting billions on rebuilding nukes will freeze out other energy sources. 

Please sign our petition today. Let’s call for a full, independent public review of the costs of and alternatives to rebuilding Bruce B Nuclear Station and the Darlington Nuclear Station. 

Your voice has made a difference in saving the Experimental Lakes Area, banning bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides, and can make a difference in stopping billions being spent on new nuclear.

Thank you for speaking up and holding our government to account.

Other information:
Studies show that Ontario could reduce its debt by $12.9 billion, save ratepayers over $750 million per year ($15 billion over 20 years) and secure a higher return on equity for publicly owned Ontario Power Generation if Ontario replaces high cost electricity from Darlington with lower cost water power from Quebec.

No nuclear project has delivered on time or on budget in Ontario’s history. Ontario still does not have a plan for storing radioactive nuclear waste, nor does it have an public emergency plan to deal with a Fukushima-scale nuclear accident. And taxpayers are on the hook for the costs of a nuclear disaster because no private company will fully insure high risk nuclear stations.

Ontario’s residential electricity rates rose by 3.4% on November 1, 2015. According to an Ontario Energy Board report, 45% of the rise in Ontario’s electricity generation costs is due to subsidies for Ontario’s aging nuclear reactors. The 2012 restart of the Bruce A Units 1 and 2 reactors came in $2 billion over budget and over 2 years behind schedule. Rebuilding the Bruce B Nuclear Station will cost Ontario’s consumers between $60 and $111 billion over 30 years. Rebuilding the Darlington Nuclear Station will cost Ontarians between $8 and $32 billion.
 

Take action:

Online: Sign our petition>>

Or, you can download and print a pdf of the petition here. Once you have collected signatures, please send them to us by:

1. Scanning and emailing them to admin@gpo.ca, then handing them in person to staff, or mailing in.
2. Sending them by mail to (we need hard copies of all petition signatures):

Green Party of Ontario
PO Box 1132, Station F
Toronto, ON, M4Y 2T8

Other links:
Mike Schreiner’s presentation to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.