NANTICOKE—Over a decade after coal-fired electricity generation ended in Nanticoke, the province is putting the former generating station site back on a path toward producing power.
Ontario Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce announced July 29, 2026 that Haldimand County will receive $500,000 in growth readiness funding from Ontario Power Generation to explore new energy generation at the 900-acre property.
Small modular nuclear reactors are in consideration, along with natural gas and hydrogen-related energy development. Lecce stressed that no technology has been selected and the project remains at an early consultation stage.
“We’ve not made any decisions,” Lecce said. “What I can simply say is there’s massive economic opportunity that arises for this region.”
The former Nanticoke Generating Station was once the largest coal-fired power plant in North America. Its final generating units closed in 2013, and the station was later demolished.
—Haldimand Press photos by Nick Fearns.
The site remains zoned for up to 3,000 megawatts of electricity generation. The province identified its existing transmission infrastructure, rail connections, port access, and large industrial footprint as reasons it could host another major energy project.
Lecce said the province wants to give the property “new life” while creating long-term employment in Haldimand County.
“We need power, we need power to be localized, and we need jobs to be permanent,” he said.
Ontario forecasts electricity demand will grow by between 65% and 90% by 2050 as the province adds housing, expands manufacturing, electrifies transportation, and pursues critical mineral and other industrial development.
Lecce said that forecast requires the province to make decisions well before the additional electricity is needed. Depending on the technology selected, developing the Nanticoke site could take up to 15 years.
He said nuclear power would take longer to construct than some alternatives, but could provide employment and economic activity over multiple generations.
“It’s not a 20- or 30-year asset,” Lecce said of a potential small modular reactor project. “This is a generational plan.”
Lecce pointed to the four small modular reactors planned at OPG’s Darlington site as an example of the possible economic scale, expected to support between 18,000 and 19,000 construction jobs, but said it would be premature to attach similar numbers to Nanticoke before project details are determined.
He said the government would proceed through discussions with Haldimand County, OPG, neighbouring municipalities, and First Nations on any potential project.
“We will only proceed in partnership,” Lecce said.
Haldimand Council unanimously passed a motion on December 16, 2024 supporting continued discussions with OPG and the province about potential new energy generation in Nanticoke, including nuclear power.
The latest announcement allows the County and OPG to work toward a formal memorandum of understanding. The $500,000 is intended to help Haldimand develop the staffing and technical capacity required to participate in planning and community engagement.
Kim Lauritsen, OPG’s Senior Vice-President of Enterprise Strategy and Growth, said early community involvement is a central part of evaluating potential generating sites.
“OPG understands the critical importance of engaging with communities early when considering siting new generation infrastructure,” Lauritsen said. “This funding will ensure Haldimand County has the capacity to engage fully on behalf of its residents as we work collaboratively to explore generation options for this site.”
OPG has also been examining existing properties at Wesleyville in Port Hope and Lambton in St. Clair Township. All three locations are already zoned for electricity generation and are close to transmission infrastructure.
OPG representatives said the Nanticoke property has played a role in the company’s history for more than 40 years and could potentially return to powering the province. The corporation has also committed to engagement with Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley said the potential project could affect more than the province’s electricity supply.
“For our community, opportunities like this are about more than energy generation,” Bentley said.
“They are about supporting economic growth, creating opportunities for future generations, and helping build a prosperous and sustainable future for Haldimand County and surrounding communities.”
Bentley said the funding marks the beginning of further discussions with residents and neighbouring communities. A future project could require additional roads, housing, services, and other infrastructure to support construction and permanent workers.
The province said possible benefits could include good-paying jobs, increased municipal property taxes, host-community funding, Indigenous equity participation, and new industries locating near the generating site.
Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady attended the announcement but said she had not received an official invitation.She criticized her exclusion from the official invitation list, saying her advocacy for energy development at Nanticoke was known to the minister.
“They want this to be a good news story, then why wouldn’t you want your local MPP championing that?” Brady asked.
Still, Brady called the announcement a positive step, though she described it as similar to the province’s December 2024 announcement that Nanticoke was one of three existing OPG sites being considered for new generation.
“This is the type of industrial park that an energy project should be eyeballed for, and I’ve been saying that for four years since I was elected,” Brady said.
Brady has opposed the possibility of large-scale residential development near the site. She said an energy project would be more appropriate.
“You either have people, or you have power, and I would much rather see power,” she said.
Asked whether the proposed residential development would affect the future of the energy site, Lecce declined to answer.
“I am here to generate power for whatever ends up being built in this community,” Lecce said. “I’m not involved in that debate, and I’m not entering that debate. All I’m going to tell you is, I’m going to generate all the power you need for the homes, the farms, and the industry you choose to build.”
Brady said the people she speaks with often raise small modular reactors as a preferred option, but the public will need detailed information before determining whether it is willing to host any technology.
“The education component is very, very important,” Brady said. “I think that educational component is going to be absolutely vital for the community to be comfortable, and I hope the ministry does listen.”
No date has been established for selecting a technology or deciding whether a generating project will proceed.
The Haldimand Press will continue to follow this story.
