In July 2023, Ontario’s Minister of Energy at the time, Hon. Todd Smith, announced at the Bruce Power site the province’s support to advance the long-term planning and consultation work required to explore nuclear expansion options on the Bruce Power site.

Additionally, over the next three decades, Ontario’s energy demand is forecasted to grow at a rapid pace. This is driven by anticipated population growth, attracting new industry to Ontario, and electrifying sectors that had previously relied on fossil fuel generation, such as electric vehicles and heavy industry.

Today, nuclear power supplies more than half of Ontario’s electricity. To maintain a clean, reliable grid for the future, nuclear power will play an important role in meeting the increased demand through nuclear refurbishments, power uprates, and creating the option for new nuclear generation.

Bruce Power is uniquely positioned for potential expansion, with decades of experience, a well-studied site, space for expansion, established Environmental Protection and ESG programs, strong community support and an experienced and professional workforce.

Currently, there is no decision to advance a new build.

Bruce Power’s focus is our Life-Extension Program and Project 2030 investments which will increase net peak output of our existing units and support essential energy output requirements outlined in the provincial government’s Powering Ontario’s Growth plan.

By completing the IA, the Bruce C Project will create a valuable option for future electricity planning.

A reactor technology has not been selected at this time, and will not be selected as part of the Bruce C Project Impact Assessment (IA). The IA will be technology neutral and use a Plant Parameter Envelope (PPE) approach, meaning it will use parameters from multiple reactor technologies and provide an assessment of the likely effects of a new nuclear project by forming a bounding case. This means that none of the individual reactor designs would have a greater impact on the environment, socioeconomic conditions or human health than what is included in the PPE and assessed in the Bruce C Impact Statement. This approach provides flexibility for Bruce Power as well as the province regarding future new nuclear deployment.

Separate from the IA, Bruce Power is undergoing a Request for Information (RFI) process with potential reactor vendors to examine nuclear technologies. The evaluation of prospective nuclear technologies will focus on the value for rate payer, opportunities for Indigenous Nations and Communities, socioeconomic benefit for the local region, as well as factors including safety, readiness to meet provincial energy demands, environmental impacts, reliability and cost. The RFI is a commercially sensitive process that will provide sound guidance for potential future decisions and milestones.

Understanding that building a new nuclear facility is a complex process with long lead times, the Government of Ontario is also taking steps to ensure that both Bruce Power and OPG take a deliberate, coordinated approach to evaluating future large-scale nuclear technologies at our sites. To support this work, the government is establishing a New Nuclear Technology Panel that includes senior leadership from OPG, Bruce Power, the IESO and the government. The panel will ensure that the coordinated selection process considers a wide range of policy objectives — including safety, cost-effectiveness, energy security, and the potential to maximize economic and job benefits across Ontario. The panel will also ensure a coordinated approach to timing for a technology selection decision. Read more about this coordinated approach to reactor technology selection in Ontario’s Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) at: ontario.ca/page/energy-generations.

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