Ontario’s energy minister has revealed that refurbishing four reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station will cost $26.8 billion, aiming to extend their service life by nearly forty years.
The province and Ontario Power Generation have been planning this long-term refurbishment for years, and today Minister Stephen Lecce confirmed that the government has given OPG the green light to proceed.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission still needs to approve the project, but OPG intends to kick off the refurbishment in early 2027.
The CNSC had previously approved a short extension for units 5 to 8 at the Pickering plant until the end of 2026.
Lecce mentioned that this project is expected to generate over 30,000 jobs during refurbishment and maintain about 6,700 jobs during operation, while also boosting GDP and meeting Ontario’s increasing electricity demands.
Environmental Defence warns that taking Pickering’s reactors offline for much of the next decade will lead to a higher reliance on natural gas for electricity generation, which could increase greenhouse gas emissions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first Nov. 26, 2025.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
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