Hawthorn: Nuclear power is clean and affordable

"Ontario will end 2014 with nuclear power providing about 60% of our electricity at 30% below the average cost of power in the province. That’s a fact."

Duncan Hawthorne, president and CEO of Bruce Power, currently the largest operational nuclear power station in the world, has a commentary in the Toronto Sun today.

Nuclear power is clean and affordable | Opinion | Toronto Sun:

Ontario will end 2014 with nuclear power providing about 60% of our electricity at 30% below the average cost of power in the province. That’s a fact. 

Graphic created for post on Ontario's electricity supply costs

In a year where there has been a wide-ranging discussion about and attention paid to so many issues when it comes to energy, nuclear power has again been a topic that is largely absent from this discussion, both in terms of its importance and role. 

While this is often a disappointment to me, I accept that.

Our job is to be there every day when people need us, in the cold winter and hot summer days, 365 days a year.

This is a role we have played for decades and, I believe, should and will continue to play.
We do this safely and have done so for decades.

Our safety record in Canada speaks for itself. 

Canada is respected internationally with a strong, independent federal regulator with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). 

It’s only when we don’t have enough power that the discussion shifts to talk about the importance of nuclear. 

In recent weeks we have seen many examples in the U.S. when nuclear plants were not life extended and now there is a significant power crunch. 

The problem is, by then it’s too late."

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