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Bruce Power celebrates coal phase out as Thunder Bay generation Station stops burning coal

Bruce Power is celebrating cleaner air and a healthier future for Ontarians today now that the province has officially shut down its final coal-generating facility.

The Thunder Bay Generating Station will now be converted to biomass, making Ontario the first jurisdiction in North America to end its use of coal-fired electricity. Over the past decade, with the innovative return to service of all four units at Bruce A, Bruce Power has provided 70 per cent of the carbon-free energy Ontario required to achieve this goal.

“We are extremely proud of the role Bruce Power has played to support the phase out of coal in Ontario,” said Duncan Hawthorne, Bruce Power president and CEO. “By returning 3,000 megawatts of safe, reliable and carbon-free electricity to Ontario’s grid, we have played a major role in this important environmental and health initiative.”

With such a reliable supply of carbon-free energy being provided by the Bruce site, the future is bright for the health of Ontario residents. According to a 2005 Ministry of Energy report, phasing out coal could avoid 25,000 emergency room visits, 20,000 hospital admissions, 8.1 million minor illness cases and provide a financial benefit of $2.6 billion annually..

“Shutting down coal isn’t just a nice-to-have, it means cleaner air and healthier communities for future generations,” Hawthorne added. “Bruce Power is proud to have played a role in Ontario’s ambitious plan to eliminate coal from Ontario’s supply mix, and we look forward to being a major supplier of Ontario’s safe, carbon-free electricity for generations.”

In 2013, Bruce Power provided nearly a third of Ontario’s power – and over half its nuclear – from its eight unit site. At an average cost of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (KWh), Bruce Power nuclear also saved Ontarians 30 per cent on their bills compared to the average cost of electricity, which was 8.55 cents/KWh.

Source: Shreline Beacon