A Submission to Niagara At Large from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance
(A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large – Say what you want about the cost of starting up alternative sources of energy like solar and wind in this province and other regions across North America. The public cost of nuclear power has been huge and Ontario energy consumers are still paying for multi-billion-dollar cost over-runs at nuclear power plants like Darlington. We trust that those who are so opposed to wind turbines for reasons that include the cost to consumers will speak out just as strongly against moving forward with any more nuclear power projects in the province.)
It’s bad enough that the Liberal Government is determined to spend billions of dollars rebuilding a nuclear plant we don’t really need, but now it is layering on expensive consultants as a “cost control” measure.
Ontario’s Pickering Nuclear Energy plant is considered, by the Ontario Energy Board, to be one of the most expensive and least reliable plants of its kind in the world to operate.
The government will spend upwards of $650,000 to pay an ex-Ontario Hydro employee to tell it if the project is running behind schedule and over budget, as has every nuclear project in Ontario’s history. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) itself will spend an undisclosed amount on a similar consultant to keep track of the project for a company with thousands of employees who are apparently too busy to do this.
Frankly, we don’t know whether to laugh or cry. A corporation whose CEO is paid more than $1 million a year will hire a consultant to tell the government’s consultant if its project is on track.
We have a far better solution and we’re not going to charge the government a single dollar: If you must proceed with the Darlington ReBuild Project despite all rational arguments to the contrary, at least do so only with a fixed price, all-in contract for repairs from an independent private sector company (e.g., SNC-Lavalin, General Electric). Having a bunch of consultants circling the project is not going to do anything to keep costs under control. Only a fixed price contract with a private sector corporation can ensure that the inevitable cost overruns are not passed on to Ontario’s consumers and taxpayers.
We need Opposition Leader Tim Hudak and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath to demand that the government come to its senses, drop the consultants and proceed with a no loopholes, fixed price contract. Ontario electricity ratepayers, still paying down the $20 billion debt run up on previous nuclear fiascos, deserve nothing less.
Please send a letter to the opposition leaders now! by clicking on this link.
Thank you for making the time – it’s important that citizens speak up.
The Ontario Clean Air Alliance OCAA) is a coalition of individuals and approximately 90 organizations (health and environmental organizations, faith communities, municipalities, utilities, unions and corporations) that represent over six million Ontarians. You can find out more about this organization by visiting its website at www.cleanairalliance.org .
(Niagara At Large invites all individuals who care to share their first and last name with their views to comment on this post and keep the discussion going on what we should do about energy in Ontario and neighbouring regions on this continent.)
Niagara At Large 
To be fair a lot of the cost over runs were self inflicted . Darlington was a massive project and the logistics of gathering a skilled work force , controlling the flow of speciality material and equipment , cordinating engeneering and project supervision with the best people availible was no small task. Then throw in the mix the whims of differant governments with their varied philosophies and agendas hardly makes for a well oiled machine . Due to Government hand wringing this project was stopped and started many times . You are not building a house!!! When this was stopped your skilled work force dispearsed to other projects throughout the Country. Your suppliers were thrown into disarray thus taking on new contracts and tying up manufacturing space that was originally alloted for Darlington . Key Supervision and engeneers familiar with the project left thus causing havoc if and when the project started . When it did start it had to be manned up with mostly new trades people (if they could be found ) who had to be brought up to speed all over again . Since the supply chain had been broken this took an enormous time to rectify because the project requires almost all speciality material . As I said this happened a number of times so PUT the blame for the cost over runs at the feet of an interferring Government !
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I am fascinated as well as thinking about what you will be covering right here
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The Corporate Liberal and Conservatives Governments during the past decades have transformed Ontario into a “HAVE NOT” province where merely living has become a “COST” nightmare to the citizens and an energy “COST” hell to the business community
Where as other more sane European governments seek to get away from Nuclear and increase Green Energy these two corporate governments in Ontario have in my opinion transformed the energy sector of this province into one great quagmire of mistakes and miss direction, not listening to expert advice and the government malfeasance stated continually by the office of the the Auditor General of this province.
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