From Coal to Solar: Energy Professionals applaud OPG's low carbon transition at Nanticoke

TORONTO, March 11, 2016 /CNW/ - The Society of Energy Professionals, the union representing professional employees at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), applauded Thursday's announcement that OPG and its partners, Sun Edison Canadian Construction LP and Six Nations Development Corporation have been selected by the Independent Electricity System Operator to develop a 44 megawatt solar facility at the former coal powered generating station at Nanticoke, Ontario.

"Ontario Power Generation has always been Ontario's largest source of renewable electricity. This successful bid will be our publicly-owned generator's first venture into large scale solar. We all pride ourselves on the way we have been able to deliver clean, low carbon generation to the people of Ontario through hydro and nuclear generation, and this venture into solar generation is just another example of that continuous evolution," said Scott Travers, President of The Society of Energy Professionals, IFPTE Local 160. "I am particularly pleased to see that in this project OPG is working closely with a First Nations partner and a welcoming host community," added Travers.

"As the Society representative for professional staff at OPG, I have always known that our people have the knowledge and skills to successfully compete in any mode of electricity generation," said Society OPG Local Vice-president Joe Fierro. "I also knew that we would be able to deliver renewable generation at lower costs than ratepayers have seen under previous FIT contracts, and this successful bid has borne that out." 

OPG provides about half the power Ontario relies on, and is able to produce it at a cost that is about 40 per cent less than the rest of the market. The electricity generated by OPG is 99.7 per cent free of greenhouse gas and smog causing emissions.

SOURCE The Society of Energy Professionals

Mike Belmore, Society of Energy Professionals, 905.308.4300