Ontario Power Generation

OPG News Release, June 29, 2005

June 29, 2005
ONTARIO POWER GENERATION'S PICKERING A STATION RECEIVES FIVE-YEAR LICENCE

[Pickering:] The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced yesterday that it has granted Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) Pickering A nuclear generating station a five-year operating licence. Prior to the announcement, the station operated under a two-year licence.

"The granting of a five-year licence marks a milestone for Pickering A," said Pickering A Senior Vice President John Coleby. "It reflects positively on OPG's safety culture and our ability to sustain our safety programs, procedures and training efforts beyond a two-year time horizon. We expect to further improve our safety performance over the length of the new licence."

The five-year operating licence was granted following two days of hearings -- held respectively on February 24 and May 20 -- before the CNSC in Ottawa. The new licence goes into effect July 1, 2005 and is valid until June 30, 2010.

OPG president Jim Hankinson praised Pickering employees for the station's strong safety performance, noting that the five-year licence "testifies to the significant progress the station has made in improving its safety margins over the years."

Hankinson also thanked the Pickering community for its strong support during the licence renewal process and observed that 65 letters had been submitted on behalf of the application from local organizations and individuals. "This signifies the high level of trust and respect that the station has earned in the community and that the community has for the station and its employees," said Hankinson.

Each of Pickering A's reactor units is able to provide approximately 515 megawatts of electricity.

Ontario Power Generation Inc. is an Ontario-based electricity generation company whose principal business is the generation and sale of electricity in Ontario. Our focus is on the efficient production and sale of electricity from our generation assets, while operating in a safe, open and environmentally responsible manner.

Link to Pickering Five Year Licence Video

Link to Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

For more information contact:
Ontario Power Generation Media Relations
1-877-592-4008 or (416) 592-4008