Ontario Government’s Plan to Invest in American Nuclear Reactors is a Massive Betrayal of the
Media Statement, May 9th, 2025 – Sierra Club Canada is deeply concerned to hear of the Ontario Government’s plan to build four American-designed nuclear reactors. This would entrench energy ties to the United States, and force Canada to rely on enriched uranium fuel imported from countries such as the U.S., Russia, or China.
This represents an abysmal lack of fiscal responsibility that delays effective climate action, and leaves Canada with more nuclear risk and more nuclear waste. Canada has no credible plan to deal with nuclear waste — recent developments concerning the proposed Chalk River nuclear waste dump make this abundantly clear.
Wind and solar power, backed up by energy storage, would be far safer and more affordable. According to the Ontario Clean Air Alliance: “The government claims these four reactors will cost $20.9 billion and will take 10 years to build. A much more realistic cost estimate based on real-world experience says these reactors will cost at least $27 billion.”
This is a massive waste of money that would deepen our reliance on an unpredictable U.S. Administration, money that would be better spent on a Canadian renewable supply chain.
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