Ontario Energy Board won't probe Bruce nuclear overhaul

[Oscar]

Ontario Energy Board won't probe Bruce nuclear overhaul

[ http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/11 ... rhaul.html ]

Opposition, Ontario Clean Air Alliance want to see public scrutiny of the multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul six reactors at the Bruce nuclear generating station

By: John Spears Business reporter, Published on Thu Nov 27 2014

The multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul six reactors at the Bruce nuclear generating station won’t be submitted to the Ontario Energy Board for scrutiny.
[ http://www.thestar.com/business/economy ... rings.html ]

Nuclear critics had called for public examination of the project, expected to cost in the range of $15 billion. [ http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014 ... lants.html ]

An energy official confirmed Wednesday that energy minister Bob Chiarelli won’t send the issue to the energy board for hearings.

Jack Gibbons of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance said the energy board should examine at the project in public. [ http://www.cleanairalliance.org/ ]

“This would be the hugest private-sector deal in Ontario’s history,” he said in an interview.

Peter Tabuns, energy critic for the New Democrats, agreed.

“I don’t think it’s something that should be negotiated behind closed doors and stamped in the premier’s office,” he said.

“The public have to be shown a business case for going down this route.”

The contract is currently being negotiated between Bruce Power — the private consortium that operates the station under lease — and the Ontario Power Authority. Bruce Power produces about 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity. [ http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/09 ... shold.html ]

The reactors are owned by Ontario Power Generation, whose sole shareholder is the province.

The energy official said that protecting ratepayers by minimizing risk is a “top priority” for the province. Officials from the ministries of energy and finance are observing the negotiations.

“It is too early to speculate about when an agreement might be reached but once it's appropriate any arrangement will be made public,” the energy official said.

The province has laid out seven principles it will follow in nuclear refurbishments in its long-term energy plan. [ http://powerauthority.on.ca/sites/defau ... sh_WEB.pdf ]

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[ http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/11 ... rhaul.html ]