NORTH BAY – Another episode of surplus power in Ontario forced another nuclear unit shutdown last week, said PC Energy Critic and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.
The order for Pickering’s Unit 6 to reduce output resulted in the unit being offline for two days at an estimated cost of $1.5 million.
Ontario Power Generation, which operates the Pickering nuclear facility, does not get compensated for the lost generation.
“Here we go again,” said Fedeli. “Unreliable renewable generation coupled with reduced power demand due to Ontario’s manufacturing decline continues to play havoc with our energy system.”
Last week, Statistics Canada confirmed Ontario’s unemployment rate in July was above the national average for the 67th consecutive month.
“We’ve lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs under Dalton McGuinty, and Ontario taxpayers and ratepayers continue to pay the price,” said Fedeli.
The Auditor General’s latest report says Ontario has lost $1.8 billion since 2006 paying Quebec and the United States to take our surplus power.
“With hydro rates set to rise 46% by 2015 and a looming $30 billion deficit, we have to stop the bleeding,” Fedeli added.
“Dalton McGuinty clearly has no plan to create jobs in Ontario. We’re headed down the wrong track and only the Ontario PC Party has a bold, comprehensive plan to rein in his reckless spending and ignite job growth.”
Executive Assistant, MPP Vic Fedeli
