• Low cost
• High efficiency
• Easy to maintain
• High reliability
• Small environmental footprint

The Do More With Less Model

Low cost
Many renewable power options, such as wind and small-scale hydro, can already produce power more cheaply than nuclear units, and that's without including the long-term costs of dealing with radioactive waste. 

Based on realistic cost inputs, new nuclear power plants in Ontario will produce power costing at least 15.7 cents per kilowatt hour. By comparison, power from wind projects currently costs 10-13 cents per kWh and power from combined heat and power plants costs 8.3-9 cents per kWh.

Even emerging technologies like solar power offer big advantages by producing the most power when electricity demand is high (hot summer days) and allowing power to be produced where it is being used, thereby avoiding transmission line losses (and mega-million dollar construction costs).   

More conventional power sources, like natural gas, can be used in very efficient combined heat and power plants that provide two services – heat and power – instead of just one using virtually the same amount of fuel. 

An even better bargain is increasing energy efficiency to eliminate the need for power generation altogether.  Ontario is currently paying about $260,000 per megawatt for energy conservation compared to an average of $1.7 million per megawatt for new electricity supply sources.  In other words, increasing energy efficiency costs six times less than building new generation facilities, without even including ongoing fuel costs or inevitable nuclear cost overruns.

Next >

Increasing energy efficiency is costing Ontario six times less than new generating sources

Together, we can build a green future

Ontario has the resources and the know how to build a clean, sustainable electricity system. By tapping the enormous power of increased efficiency, leveraging our significant renewable energy potential and embracing new technologies, we can create a prosperous healthy province without high cost, high risk nuclear power or dirty coal. Read our recipe for Ontario's Green Future.