Ontario’s Energy Minister says his plan to address the province’s growing electricity needs in the 2030’s and beyond will involve securing new generation from green sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric.

Todd Smith also announced two nuclear projects last week aimed at meeting the demand that will come from electric vehicles and manufacturing which he hopes will see a new, large-scale nuclear plant at Bruce Power as well as three new small modular reactors at the site of the Darlington nuclear plant.

The game plan to build new nuclear and contract more electricity generation from non-emitting sources are part of a strategy released by Smith Monday called Powering Ontario’s Growth, which involves moves to prepare the system for 2030 to 2050.

The Independent Electricity System Operator has said that Ontario’s electricity demand could double by mid-century.

Minister Smith says the new planned procurement of green power, including hydroelectric, solar, wind, and biogas, will pair well with recent energy storage procurements, so that power generated by solar panels, for example, could be stored and injected into the system when needed.

However, critics say Ontario wouldn’t be in as much of an electricity supply crunch if the Progressive Conservative government hadn’t cancelled 750 green energy contracts during its first term.