Opinion: It would be foolish not to refurbish Pickering nuclear plant

financialpost.com:

In a move likely unnoticed by most Ontarians, the province has inched closer toward a decade-defining victory of energy policy. Last week, Ontario Power Generation submitted an application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to extend the life of the Pickering nuclear generating station until the fall of 2026.

The plan had been for the plant to close at the end of 2025. But an extra nine months of affordable, low-carbon electricity from the station will benefit Ontarians. And the bigger news is that the reprieve could pave the way to a full refurbishment that would protect Ontario’s domestic supply of clean electricity and high-quality jobs for decades to come.

Operating through 2026 would allow skilled refurbishment workers and OPG project managers currently redoing the Darlington Nuclear Station to switch over to Pickering after the Darlington project wraps up that same year. Meanwhile, the Pickering station would be able to generate extra revenue from the extension, keeping up employment and helping to offset the cost of refurbishment planning.

A year ago, our organization released a report that built the case for refurbishing Pickering’s four newest reactors (“the B side”). Soon after, the province announced its support for Pickering’s continued operation.

Keeping the plant running makes sense from a cost perspective. Refurbishments at Ontario’s two other nuclear plants, which are proceeding ahead of schedule, are costing only half the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s estimates for what brand new nuclear capacity costs. Using existing equipment, licences, transmission capacity, buildings and other structures saves both time and money.

Apart from legacy hydro dams, Ontario’s nuclear fleet makes