Napanee, Ont. council defers decision on gas plant expansion

With the closure of the Pickering nuclear power plant expected in 2026, and an increase in power demand looming, the province is staring down the barrel of a potential “power crunch.”

In order to make up for that lost power, the province is looking to expand in other areas.

Atura Power is proposing an expansion of its 900-megawatt Napanee Generating Station, just a few years after it came into service, adding another 450 megawatts in natural gas turbine power.

Support for this massive expansion was supposed to be voted on by Napanee town council Tuesday night.

But after several people lined up to speak about the project, and with the meeting running long, the decision on whether or not to support it was deferred.

“We decided to cut the meeting short,” Napanee Mayor Terry Richardson says.

“We’ll make the decision with respect to the power generation on the 28th of November.”

The proposal is not without its critics.

Climate activists and people in the community say Ontario is going backwards when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions.

“It’s expanding the burning of fossil fuels,” says Gavin Hutchison, founder of 350 Kingston.

“We’re in a climate emergency. We need to stop burning fossil fuels, not burn more of them.”

Earlier this year, Richardson said he was in favour of the plant expansion along Highway 33, saying it would be beneficial for the community.

But now he’s not so sure, after seeing the response from the community and the information being submitted.

“I’m keeping a very open mind,” Richardson says.

“I know that the rest of council is keeping an open mind. We weren’t expecting that many deputations last night. There was a lot of deputations that came in at different angles with respect to power generation.”

Part of the process in this expansion plan includes a vote of municipal support from council, with Napanee town staff recommending “yes” in their report.

If the town turns it down, the province still has the power to push it through.

But if Napanee council does support it, the province will be giving the town a big payout to the tune of $4.8 million over 12 years.