Ontario Power Generation’s $26.8-billion plan to refurbish four CANDU reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station has been approved by the Ontario government, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and extending the facility’s operations to deliver reliable, clean power for up to 38 years.
Marking one of the largest industrial projects in Ontario history, Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce announced the decision on November 26, calling the Pickering project essential to protecting Ontario’s energy security as electricity demand is projected to climb sharply by 2050.
The plant, built in the late 1960s, is among the oldest nuclear power stations in the world.
“For more than 50 years, nuclear power has been the backbone of Ontario’s energy grid,” Lecce announced. “Extending the life of the facility will create jobs for tens of thousands of skilled workers while we build up the Ontario supply chain and keep 90% of our project spend in this country.”
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The approval marks the latest step in a multi-year process to determine whether Pickering’s “B” units — reactors 5 through 8 —should continue to operate beyond 2026. In 2022, the province announced the units would remain in service through September 2026, pending federal approval. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) granted that authorization in late 2024, but signalled that any continued operation would require a full refurbishment.
OPG has spent the last two years preparing for that possibility. By December 2024, the utility had completed its Project Initiation Phase, which included early engineering and long-lead procurement to lock in key components before global supply chains tightened further. In January 2025, the province authorized OPG to begin the Project Definition Phase, now underway until 2026, during which the utility is refining project scope and cost estimates, completing engineering deliverables and negotiating commercial contracts.
Pending final CNSC licensing, OPG expects to begin the Project Execution Phase in early 2027. Construction is projected to run into the mid-2030s. Once completed, the refurbished station would supply up to 2,200 megawatts of additional capacity — enough to power 2.2 million homes — and extend operations by as much as 38 years.
The province expects the project to create roughly 30,500 jobs during construction and sustain another 6,700 throughout the plant’s extended operating life. More than 90% of project spending will remain in Canada, a point the government says is vital as it seeks to shield Ontario’s economy from global volatility and ongoing U.S. tariffs.
OPG says it will use the same model that has kept the Darlington Nuclear Refurbishment on time and on budget, and has committed to investing $100 million with Indigenous-owned companies for the duration of the Pickering project. The work is also expected to secure a long-term supply of cobalt-60, a medical isotope widely used in cancer treatment and sterilization of medical equipment — supporting the province’s goal to double isotope production over the next four years.
Pickering–Uxbridge MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy said the project will “strengthen our economy and create well-paying jobs for residents in Pickering and across Durham Region,” adding that nuclear energy remains a cornerstone of the province’s industrial strategy.
The refurbishment aligns with Energy for Generations, Ontario’s first integrated energy plan, designed to ensure reliable and affordable electricity for new housing, industrial expansion and long-term economic growth. The government says the plan provides the certainty municipalities, Indigenous communities and businesses need to invest in the province.
As the project advances, the province and Ontario Power Generation say they will continue exploring financing tools aimed at reducing long-term costs for ratepayers.
