How a Nuclear Power Plant was Saved

The little non-profit that could.

“Only a crisis - actual or perceived - produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions taken depend on the ideas lying around. Our basic function is to develop alternatives to existing policies and keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable.” Milton Friedman

This quote became Canadians for Nuclear Energy’s guiding philosophy in our then long-shot campaign to save the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station from early decommissioning.

Over the last 5 years as energy demand forecasts skyrocketed, and now as Canada is caught up in a trade war with the USA that brings energy security, domestic manufacturing and Canadian strategic autonomy to the forefront, our work to develop alternatives to the policy of shutting down Pickering became the “ideas that were lying around.”

We are pleased that Doug Ford’s government accepted our recommendations and made the right call to prioritize Ontario jobs and workers, clean air, and medical isotopes, and we look forward to the tremendous economic multiplier effect of this CANDU refurbishment during these challenging times of internecine economic warfare.

Our “Save Pickering” campaign, launched in 2020, was an uphill battle. Labour unions that supported refurbishing the plant appreciated our efforts but had given up.

Not only were we the only organization fighting for this refurbishment at a time when nuclear power was struggling reputationally, but major bodies in the nuclear industry made several “interventions,” asking us to call off our campaign.

Ontario Power Generation, the plant owner, and bizarrely the leadership of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries, Canada’s nuclear supply chain association, communicated to us that our efforts were harmful to the nuclear sector.

Over and over, they told us the decision to shut down the plant was a “done deal” and that we were “kicking a dead horse.”

Our non-profit, however, receives no funding from the nuclear industry and had total freedom of action to continue our Quixotic quest.

Our determination to struggle on, which included holding rallies (with placards painted with my son’s art supplies) at Ontario’s Legislature and outside Ontario Power Generation headquarters, as well as hundreds of hours of collective energy and expertise poured into our highly influential “Save Pickering” policy report authored by the extraordinarily talented Dylan Moon, was rooted in our unshakeable and pan-partisan values: Pro-worker, pro-clean air and pro-health.

After all, the four reactors at Pickering B support 4500 direct and indirect jobs. They are a vital part of our nuclear backbone, which underpins Ontario’s energy security and self-reliance. Their 2,200 MW baseload contribution was slated to be replaced by smog-producing natural gas generation, and the plant produces 20% of the world’s vital Cobalt-60 medical isotope, which is essential to maintaining the sterility of the medical supplies I use every day in the Emergency Department.

To us, that was worth fighting for.

We faced several crises of confidence along the way, asking ourselves why we were pouring so much time into a seemingly hopeless campaign. No one played a greater role in keeping our spirits up and our efforts laser-focused on our goal than Canadians for Nuclear Energy co-founder Chris Adlam.

Chris Adlam back-slapping then Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith

Ultimately, as electricity demand rose, the resounding success of CANDU refurbishments at the Bruce and Darlington nuclear generating stations became apparent, and our political campaign became impossible to ignore; organized labour flexed its muscle, and the Ontario Progressive Conservative government embraced adding Pickering to the refurbishment lineup.

Ontario’s traditionally anti-nuclear left-of-centre official opposition, the NDP, and environmental NGOs were muted in their response to the announcement of the government’s intent to explore refurbishment of the reactors at Pickering, in part because we had made it impossible to ignore the jobs, climate, air quality, and healthcare benefits of keeping the plant operating for another 40 years.

Yesterday, on September 21st, the Ontario government announced the beginning of construction on the Pickering Nuclear Refurbishment.

I’ll close with another quote from the opposite side of the political spectrum as Mr. Friedman, American Anthropologist Margaret Mead.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Every time you like a Decouple post, a nuclear advocate gets their wings.