By Peter Moore
On February 2, Energy Minister Stephen Lecce announced the early completion of the Darlington nuclear plant refurbishment.
“The unit is now complete and will be returning to service four months ahead of schedule, the overall refurbishment project coming in $150 million under budget,” according to the ministry press release.
“Ontario is proving to the world that we can deliver major nuclear energy projects on-time and on-budget,” said Minister Lecce. “In a world of uncertainty, our government is doubling down on Canadian nuclear technology and workers, with 96 per cent of investment benefiting Ontario’s supply chain. It is a tremendous industrial advantage that Canada is among only six nations that own civilian nuclear technology, yet we stand alone as number one in building, operating, and refurbishing projects on-time and on-budget.”
The four CANDU reactors at the facility near Clarington on the shores of Lake Ontario, were refurbished to get another 30 years or more of electricity generation out of the plant.
Not everyone believes Minister Lecce. The Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) published a fact sheet claiming the refurbishment uncovered a plant in rougher condition than expected. Those repairs will require an additional $3.3 billion over the next five years.
“I would say he should tell the truth to the people of Ontario… increase our use of wind and solar and increase our independence and protect our national sovereignty.”
Jack Gibbons of OCAA found the information in Ontario Power Generation (OPG)’s 2025 filings with the Ontario Energy Board. The pending work is:
- Replacing the Generator Primary Moisture Separators : $359.2 million;
- Darlington Unit 1 and 2 Generator Stator Rewind Project: $350 million; and,
- Darlington Turbine Rotors Replacement Project: $2.589 billion.
“They discovered it was in worse shape than they had thought,” said Gibbons. “”Lecce is trying to pretend they were on time and under budget.” If they had done the additional work, “it would have been off schedule and off budget. That would admit that they were wrong.”
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) confirmed that it is aware of the additional work and is monitoring the Darlington facility.
“The CNSC can confirm that the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is now fully refurbished and operational. With respect to the additional work mentioned in your questions, during refurbishment some non-safety-critical work may be deferred if the licensee can prove to the CNSC that it is safe to do so. The CNSC is aware of the work and has on-site inspectors who conduct inspections and surveillance, and monitoring activities to ensure the safety of people and the environment,” according to a Commission spokesperson.
The refurbishment of Darlington and planned refurbishment of the Pickering nuclear plant will be financed through higher electricity rates, and some provincial and federal funding.
Over the next five years, OPG will have to shut down reactors to do the work, lowering the output of the plants and increasing the cost of nuclear electricity. Ontarians will pay for the Darlington refurbishment through increased nuclear power electricity rates of “a 72.6 per cent increase in its price of nuclear energy in 2027,” according to the OCAA, citing OPG’s documents.
An external review of Ontario’s nuclear ambitions is an important check and balance, according to York University professor Mark Winfield, who has doubts about the viability of nuclear power in Ontario. In an op-ed published in the Hamilton Spectator last year, he said, “none of Ontario’s proposals have been subject to any form of meaningful external review in terms of their economic, technological or environmental rationality. The Ford government’s nuclear heavy strategy appears to be premised on an assumption that a massive nuclear expansion program will turn Ontario into an electricity production and export ‘superpower.’”
Refurbishment does not mean the nuclear reactor is new. “Expecting the reactors to continue to function without another refurbishment for another 30 years is a very optimistic claim from the minister. The expected first life for CANDUs is 26 years, second lives are likely to be shorter,” said Winfield in an email to The Leveller.
This lack of transparency should raise concerns for Ontarians.
“I would say he should tell the truth to the people of Ontario and increase our use of wind and solar and increase our independence and protect our national sovereignty,” said Gibbons.
Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner said investing in nuclear power is going to increase people’s energy bills and it’s the wrong direction for Ontario.
“Global investment is overwhelmingly going towards the green economy and renewables. Projects like wind, solar and energy storage which can lower energy bills and create good, generational jobs. Ontario has a chance to lead the global transition to a clean, green economy but instead, the Ford government is doubling down on new nuclear and expensive, dirty gas. Doug Ford’s anything-but-renewables policy is costing Ontarians and setting our province up to get left behind.”
The Leveller did not receive comment from the Official Opposition New Democratic Party or the Liberal Party of Ontario.
The Leveller also did not receive a response from Minister Lecce’s office, Ontario Power Generation or the Ontario Energy Board.
