A Deeper Dive into Nuclear Plants
COST: Calculations for the cost of nuclear plants.
Based on the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab [NREL] and on the Vogtle reactors built in Georgia U.S. Vogtle plant at a cost of $35 billion U.S. for two AP 1000 Westinghouse reactors.
Therefore, ten AP 1000 Westinghouse reactors under review for Wesleyville would therefore cost between $245 Billion CDN based on Vogtle and using the NREL conservative estimate amount of $16,571/ kW in Canadian dollars or $165.7 Billion CDN for the Wesleyville plant.
This has since been updated because the NREL numbers do not add a risk factor to their cost estimates. Also, the two new reactor builds in the UK ‘Hinkley’ which will be completed in 2029 are estimated to cost even more so the new range is $245 billion to $279 billion.
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Wikipedia see Units 3 and 4 descriptions. Plants started construction in 2009. Link Here.
Insurance required by Ontario Power Authority to cover nuclear liability.
Source Ontario’s Nuclear Emergency Response Plan. Link Here
Source: “Ontario Power Generation seeks rate Increase for electricity from nuclear
plants”, published January 12, 2026, updated January 14, 2026. Link Here
Source: Ontario greenlights Pickering Nuclear Generating Station refurbishment. Link Here
For a detailed financial analysis, see: “Ontario’s Costly Nuclear Folly,” Perspectives Journal,
September 12,2025. Link Here
Health Risks
Projecting thyroid cancer risk to the general public from radiation exposure following
hypothetical severe nuclear accidents in Canada’ CNSC Journal of Radiological Protection
(September 2020).
Source: “Residential proximity to nuclear power plans and cancer incidence in
Massachusetts, USA”, Springer Nature Link, Volume 24, article 92 (2025).
Protracted exposure to low-dose ionising radiation and cancer incidence among Canadian
nuclear power plant workers Occup Environ Med. 2025 Oct 17;82(8):370-379. doi:
10.1136/oemed-2025-110257. Link Here
Better Alternatives to Wesleyville Nuclear Development
Clean Air Alliance Port Hope’s Electricity Future: Wind and Solar or the World’s Largest Nuclear
Station? Link Here
Electricity Export Analysis Ont. Society of Professional Engineers. Link Here
Ford Government’s cancellation of renewable energy projects to cost at least $231M’ Nov 19, 2019. Link Here
Exporting Wesleyville Nuclear Power to the U.S.
Building Fortress Am Can Ontario’s Am-Can’s Growth Plan Jan 2025 f ibid (page 19) Link Here
Globe and Mail Explainer ‘Ontario’s electricity exports may not be the bargaining chip they were first thought to be.’ Matthew McClearn March 17, 2025, https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-dougford-mistook-ontarios-electricity-exports-for-abazookahefound/#ds/2024/11/OSPE_Electricity_Export_Analysis.pdf
Nuclear Waste Storage on Site
Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel at the Pickering Site: Risks and Risk-Reducing Options by Gordon R. Thompson, Institute for Resource and Security Studies IRSS May 2018 Prepared under the sponsorship of Ontario Clean Air Alliance Research. Link Here
The Big Picture on Risk
Rethinking Risk in the Age of Climate Chaos Ralph Torrie Corporate Knights January 30, 2026. Link Here