New York, Ontario team up on nuclear energy technology development

BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul brought a special north of the border guest to Buffalo on Friday.  

The governor and Ontario Premier Doug Ford sought to make a powerful presentation at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum on their new agreement to help develop nuclear power technology. 

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The state of New York and province of Ontario are now agreeable cross border partners on the development of nuclear energy technology including the so called smr’s or small modular reactors which Ontario Power Generation is now working on at the Darlington, Ontario plant said to be about two hours north of Buffalo. 

Premier Ford: said: “With energy demand — everything needs energy — Ontario is expected to increase up to 90 percent over the next 25 years. Put this in perspective: we’re building out, we’re building new, with small modular reactors or large scale nuclear.”      

Ford notes that Ontario Power Generation also has a nuclear partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority which also produces power in Tennessee for southern states. The TVA also has a $400 million grant from the Trump Administration to further their research on nuclear power. 

This all comes despite Ford’s previous tough words sparring with President Trump over his Administration’s U.S. tariffs policy on Canada. 

Back In March, Ford in retaliation did order a 25 percent surcharge on electricity exported to the states of New York, Michigan, and Minnesota with another threat back then.

But after a more conciliatory call to President Trump at the White House, that surcharge was pulled back and now months later there is this pledge of cooperation for power and nuclear technical assistance.  

Premier Ford says his nation’s nuclear plants can provide 16 thousand megawatts. He says “that’s enough to power 16 million homes, and who do we want to give our energy to? Our closest friends and allies, no matter if it’s New York State, or Michigan, or Minnesota that we ship power down to.”

We wanted to ask Premier Ford where things stand now with his relationship with President Trump and whether an electricity surcharge would ever come up again if the tariffs issue flares up again.

However, Governor Hochul’s regional press aide closed out their brief news conference after taking questions from other outlets and then without calling on Channel 2 reporters to ask any questions.