Bruce Power provides formal notice of intent to begin early community engagement, Impact Assessment for Bruce C

Press Release

October 20, 2023

Earlier today, Bruce Power notified the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) of its intent to launch an Impact Assessment (IA) for potential new nuclear generation on the Bruce Power site including early community, Indigenous and public engagement. A copy of Bruce Power’s letter of intent can be found here.

“The company is advancing this process in a proactive, open and transparent manner in order to engage Indigenous peoples, our communities and the public early in the process as a planning tool to meet Ontario’s long-term energy needs,” said James Scongack, Bruce Power’s Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice-President of Operational Services.

Bruce Power will incorporate feedback from these early engagement activities into an Initial Project Description, set to go to the IAAC in early 2024.

“Canada is at an important juncture,” Scongack said. “We will only be able to reverse the effects of climate change, advance a net zero future and grow our economy through investment in long-term clean electricity infrastructure.  We will achieve this by engaging people and conducting pre-development activities now so we can increase the certainty around supply options, learning from past challenges with large infrastructure projects for a better future.”

The Bruce Power site was home to one of the largest greenhouse gas reduction initiatives in the world when the company returned the Bruce A units to service and improved their performance to leading operational standards from when the site was assumed by Bruce Power in 2001. This led to 70 per cent of the energy needed to phase-out the use of coal in Ontario. The goal is to build on this success.

In July, the Ontario government announced its long-term electricity framework for the province, Powering Ontario’s Growth, with the goal of meeting future electricity demand, growing the economy and achieving a net zero future. A key element to this plan was to commence pre-development work, in collaboration with the Province through the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), for additional generation options on the Bruce Power site.  Bruce Power is a proven nuclear operator recognized internationally for excellence that has been Ontario’s largest private investor electricity infrastructure.

The framework released by the province, and the associated pre-development work, was based on up to 4,800 megawatts (MW) of additional nuclear capacity referred to as Bruce C. This additional capacity would complement the existing Bruce A and B generation facilities which are home to eight reactors.

Bruce Power produces 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity on fewer than 1,000 hectares of land with space for incremental infrastructure development while protecting the environment. Bruce Power is uniquely positioned, with extensive operating experience, a large body of environmental research, significant space for expansion, existing transmission corridors, strong community support and an experienced workforce.

For additional information visit brucepower.com/future-of-the-bruce-site/

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