NDP Energy and Environment Critic Peter Tabuns said Premier Dalton McGuinty has broken his promise to force nuclear power companies to cover their own cost overruns for new nuclear reactors in Ontario and is forcing taxpayers to foot the bill once again.

According to reports, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is the McGuinty government choice to build two new reactors in Darlington and the Premier has instructed officials to start negotiating with the federal government an agreement to share cost of nuclear overruns.

“Every single nuclear project in Ontario has gone over cost. Ontarians are still paying for the $10 billion cost overrun from the Darlington nuclear plant built decades ago as part of their monthly hydro bill – and now they will have to pay off billions of dollars more,” Tabuns said.

In Spring 2006 Premier McGuinty said: “if we were to go with nuclear, we would be looking at a turnkey operation. Don’t come to us with cost overruns. Been there. Done that.” (Globe and Mail, June 13, 2006)

Tabuns said the rising cost of nuclear is yet another reason to put the decision to build new nuclear reactors on hold.

“Overall electricity demand is declining and the government says its Green Energy Act will rapidly increase the supply of renewable energy in Ontario,” added Tabuns. “So why doesn’t McGuinty give the Act a chance to succeed before committing to expensive new nuclear plants which will produce more radioactive waste that we still can’t safely store?”

“Don’t force Ontarians to pay for current and future nuclear cost overruns,” Tabuns told McGuinty. “Been there. Done that.”