MONTREAL — Quebec Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon says he agrees with Hydro-Québec’s decision to study a possible reopening of the province’s only nuclear power plant.

Fitzgibbon reacted today to recent news that the power utility is looking into restarting the Gentilly-2 reactor in Bécancour, Que., as a response to growing energy demand.

The minister told reporters in Montreal that as Quebec moves away from fossil fuels, all sources of renewable energy should be studied.

But he warns that new energy projects should be both acceptable to the public and profitable.

The provincial government closed Gentilly-2 in 2012, in part because of the high cost of refurbishing the plant, which opened in 1983.

Hydro-Québec’s announcement last week was met with criticism from environmental group Greenpeace Canada and from opposition politicians, who called on the government to launch a national discussion on Quebec’s energy future.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2023.

The Canadian Press