Ontario electricity ratepayers could save $12 billion if the province made a deal to import low-cost water power instead of rebuilding aging nuclear reactors.

Every nuclear project in Ontario’s history has gone massively over budget. It has recently been revealed that the initial stages of the Darlington project are already massively over budget and that OPG has gone to great lengths to try to disguise the true cost of the project.

Meanwhile, Quebec has a growing surplus of low-cost water power available for export.  In 2017, Quebec offered to supply Ontario with a large amount of power at a cost of just 5 cents per kWh.  Compare that to the projected cost of power from rebuilt reactors at the Darlington nuclear station — 16.5 cents per kWh and possibly higher.

If you think Ontario should make a money-saving deal with Quebec, sign our petition!

Quebec has the power:

  • Quebec has surplus power available for export during at least 99% of the hours of the year
  • Quebec’s power surplus is steadily growing as it finishes a massive new hydro generating project on the Romaine River, continues to develop its massive wind power potential, and finds less demand for its power in the United States, where investments in efficiency and competition from natural gas generation have cut into its market
  • Ontario can take full advantage of the power Quebec has available by improving transmission connections at a cost that would be paid back in one year from savings earned by cancelling the Darlington project
  • Quebec is interested in making a deal as plans to increase transmission connections to the United States — the only other way it can increase its export power earnings given that its existing connections are maxed out — are going to cost billions of dollars and take many years to complete.

How making a deal with Quebec can save us billions

OCAA Chair Jack Gibbons on the advantages of making a deal with Quebec

Quebec Hydro CEO Eric Martel on Hydro Quebec’s big power and export plans

Looking at the big picture on electricity trade benefits:

 

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