Mounting delays to the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear reactor have prompted a postponement of similar work at the Gentilly 2 station in Quebec. Hydro-Quebec announced Monday that it’s putting off the $1.9-billion project until 2012. It was to begin next year. The electricity giant said it made the decision so it can benefit from Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.’s solutions to problems that have put the Point Lepreau work more than 21/2 years behind schedule. It’s a move that could bolster New Brunswick’s argument that the lessons learned from delays at Lepreau will help AECL’s efforts elsewhere. In the meantime, Gentilly 2 will continue to churn out 675 megawatts of electricity every hour. That means Quebec may be able to avoid additional costs of generating replacement power… Homeowners could be zapped with an extra $48 in annual hydro costs after Premier Dalton McGuinty’s cabinet quietly approved a break on electricity rates for huge industrial users. The move extends time-of-use pricing now in effect for homeowners — allowing them to use electricity cheaper at off-peak times, such as nights and weekends — to major firms like Ford, Vale Inco, and Imperial Oil. It will give big power-consuming sectors an incentive to conserve energy, cut their costs and, the government hopes, keep manufacturing, mining and refining jobs in Ontario…The Saskatchewan government reiterated its position Monday that it hasn’t closed the door to the nuclear energy option. While large reactors might not be the best fit, small-reactor technology could work well in Saskatchewan — the world’s second-largest producer of uranium.
Point Lepreau Nuke Delayed; Ontario Price on the Rise
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