Bruce Power's Unit 7 to set new long-run record; and remembering black-out of 2003

Bruce Power’s Unit 7 reached 465 days of continuous service Thursday, matching the long-run record for the Bruce B unit.

 

“Unit 7 has been an absolute workhorse for the people of Ontario since its last planned maintenance outage,” said Pierre Pilon, senior vice-president, Bruce B. “The reliability of the unit is a testament to our employees who work hard to maintain and operate these reactors to such high standards. By providing a reliable source of safe, clean and low-cost nuclear electricity, the people of Ontario benefit from Unit 7’s long run as well.”

 

Unit 8 holds the long-run record for a Bruce B unit at 580 days, followed by Unit 6 at 560 days and Unit 5 at 520.

 

Sunday, Bruce Power marked the 13^th anniversary of the black-out of 2003, reminding Ontarians of the role the company played in bringing the lights back on then and generating low-cost energy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
 

Most Ontarians clearly remember what they were doing Aug. 14, 2003, when the lights went out.

 

It was an unbearably hot day and southern Ontario was shrouded in smog when the power went out and the air conditioners fell silent. Fifty-million North Americans were plunged into the largest electrical black-out ever. It was met with utter shock – you're rarely forced to think about where you get your power, you just expect the lights to come on when you flick the switch.

 

“In 2003, Bruce Power was the first to provide the electricity that would rebuild Ontario’s energy grid, and we’re still here today, generating clean energy for Ontario families and businesses, reliably providing 30 per cent of Ontario’s energy while protecting the air we breathe,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s new president and chief executive officer.

 

Since 2003, Bruce Power has doubled its number of operating units from four to eight while investing private dollars to ensure the company is there when needed. In doing so, Bruce Power provided 70 per cent of the power Ontario needed to shut down every one of its coal-fired electricity stations, which was completed in 2014. It’s no coincidence the number of smog days dropped in conjunction with the end of coal – in 2005, there were 48 smog days, while there were none in 2015.

 

Over the next 20 years, Bruce Power will refurbish and extend the life of six more of its units, privately investing in these publicly-owned assets. This program will create 18,000 direct and indirect jobs across Ontario, and inject about $1-billion into the province’s economy annually, all while guaranteeing the people of the province benefit from clean, reliable, low-cost nuclear power.

 

“When Ontario needed Bruce Power 13 years ago, to bring the province out of the black-out, we were there,” said Rencheck. “Today, we reliably produce 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity at 30 per cent less than the average residential price of power, keeping the air clean and generating low-cost energy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

 

Learn more about Bruce Power’s role in recovering from the black-out at www.brucepower.com/resources-and-publications/innovation/.