Ontario Power Generation (OPG) produces almost half of the electricity that Ontario homes, schools, hospitals and businesses rely on each day. We are committed to ensuring our energy production is reliable, safe and environmentally sustainable for Ontarians today and for the future.
In 2014, OPG burned its last piece of coal to make electricity. This continues to be the largest single action to combat climate change in North America to date.
Our two northwestern coal stations were converted to renewable biomass. Now, together with a diverse fleet that includes 66 hydroelectric stations and two nuclear stations, OPG’s power is more than 99 per cent free of smog and carbon emissions. And we produce this power at about 40 per cent of the cost of other generators.
A key initiative to maintain our clean generation mix is the refurbishment of Darlington Nuclear Generating Station (GS). This project, which is the largest clean energy project in Canada, is creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Ontario while ensuring a key part of the province’s infrastructure continues to safely produce clean, reliable, low-cost power for another 30 years. Along with the Darlington refurbishment, we are preparing for the continued operation of Pickering Nuclear GS until 2024. This will save Ontario electricity customers up to $600 million and avoid at least 17 million tonnes of GHG emissions.
OPG has also partnered with three Ontario Indigenous communities on hydroelectric projects, including the Lac Seul GS and the Lower Mattagami project in northeast Ontario. Most recently, we constructed – in partnership with Taykwa Tagamou Nation - a new hydroelectric generating station near Cochrane. The Peter Sutherland Sr. GS, named after an esteemed community Elder, was a $300 million project that employed about 220 workers at peak and added 28 MW of generating capacity. The project was completed in March 2017 on budget and ahead of schedule.
And we are driving innovation through clean technologies, like investment in solar technology at our Nanticoke property on Lake Erie, supporting the roll-out of electric vehicles with our partnership with Plug’ n Drive, and our participation in the development of Small Modular Reactors.
