The Ontario government is continuing its preliminary steps towards the possible construction of a new nuclear power plant near Port Hope.
Energy Minister Stephen Lecce announced Wednesday that the Crown corporation Ontario Power Generation (OPG) was studying this possibility after beginning positive discussions with the municipality of Port Hope and the First Nations in this region.
Minister Lecce had already announced in November that he had asked OPG to begin discussions with municipalities and First Nations communities around three lands already owned by the Crown corporation where the province could potentially build new power plants, such as nuclear power plants.
Port Hope and the Williams Treaty First Nations are the first to say they are ready to continue these discussions.
OPG also states that it is still studying the possibility of installing new generating stations on its lands in Nanticoke, in Haldimand County, and in St. Clair.
Officials said OPG plans to begin impact assessment activities this year for the Wesleyville site, near Port Hope, about 50 kilometers east of Oshawa.
OPG hopes to obtain construction and operating permits during the 2030s, with a view to operating in the 2040s.
Officials say the site could accommodate a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 megawatts, more than any nuclear power plant currently operating in Ontario.
