New York and Ontario are teaming up to develop nuclear power generation.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), Ontario Premier Doug Ford (PC), and the leaders of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) gathered Dec. 19 in Buffalo, N.Y., to sign a memorandum of understanding on nuclear development.

NYPA and OPG will share information, resources and institutional knowledge to support the economic, technology and workforce initiatives needed for advanced nuclear development on both sides of the border.

The leaders of both governments have made nuclear an important part of their energy strategies:

The first small modular reactor in a G7 nation is under construction in Ontario and three more are planned nearby, while New York has begun the development process for at least a gigawatt of advanced nuclear capacity.

NYPA and OPG have a long history of collaboration with their hydropower generation plants on the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers, which form the U.S.-Canadian border.

NYPA recently named as its senior vice president of nuclear energy Todd Josifovski, who was director of the $13 billion (CAD) overhaul of OPG’s four-reactor Darlington Nuclear Power Station, now nearing completion. (See Former Ontario Power, NRC Leaders Join NYPA Nuclear Effort.)

Most of OPG’s nuclear fleet is on the north shore of Lake Ontario. New York’s commercial fleet, operated by Constellation Energy, is entirely on the south shore.

The combined age of New York’s four reactors is 198 years. Among them are the oldest and second-oldest operating commercial reactors in the nation.

But the state relies on their over-90% capacity factor to meet its power needs and emissions reduction goals. New York pays half a billion dollars a year in subsidies for their operation and is considering extending the subsidy framework by 20 years. (See N.Y. Makes Case for Extending Nuclear Subsidies to 2049.)

Meanwhile, large scale renewable energy development in New York is lagging well behind the hoped-for pace, and many fossil-fired plants still are running at or beyond the average retirement age.

Against this backdrop, Hochul in June ordered the nation’s largest state-owned public power organization to develop at least 1 GW of advanced nuclear capacity. (See N.Y. Pursuing Development of 1-GW Advanced Nuclear Facility.)

NYPA once operated nuclear reactors but divested them decades ago. Its neighbor across the border presents a broad contemporary knowledge base to draw from as New York positions itself to be an early mover in the nuclear renaissance many policymakers are attempting to engineer.

“This first-of-its-kind agreement represents a bold step forward in our relationship and New York’s pursuit of a clean energy future,” Hochul said in a news release. “By partnering with Ontario Power Generation and its extensive nuclear experience, New York is positioning itself at the forefront of advanced nuclear technology deployment, ensuring we have safe, reliable, affordable and carbon-free energy that will help power the jobs of tomorrow.”

Premier Ford said in his own news release: “From building the first small modular reactors in the G7 to building the first large-scale nuclear facilities in decades, Ontario is proud to lead the world in nuclear innovation. By working together with New York, we’re creating good-paying jobs, growing our economies and delivering clean, affordable power for families and businesses on both sides of the border for generations to come.”

Beyond the nuclear memorandum of understanding, the two leaders signed a declaration of intent for continued economic cooperation at a time when border crossings, trade and tourism have been affected by U.S. policy changes.

This idea of cross-border cooperation and trade was a recurring theme as Hochul and Ford spoke. Hochul referred to threats and hostility toward Canada from President Donald Trump via his trade policies and tariffs. In October, Ford famously angered Trump by airing an anti-tariff commercial.

But Hochul also said she had spoken to Trump about the arduous, decadelong federal permitting process for nuclear construction, and she said he agreed that it was too slow. (See Trump Orders Nuclear Regulatory Acceleration, Streamlining.)

Her complaint was a bit ironic, given New York’s reputation as a slow and expensive state with a thick regulatory structure for energy developers, but there, too, efforts are underway to streamline the siting, permitting and interconnection processes.

NYPA has begun laying groundwork for its nuclear project, including by seeking host community support for what remains a controversial and worrisome prospect for many Americans. (See Wanted: N.Y. Community Eager to Host Nuclear Reactor.)

In her remarks at the Dec. 19 ceremony, Hochul said NYPA has heard responses from eight communities and 21 developers that want to be part of the project.