Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is warning the nuclear industry to communicate a positive message in order to facilitate a smooth rollout of small modular reactors.Speaking to a nuclear conference in Calgary on Tuesday, Smith said major — and controversial — industries such as nuclear don’t often get a “second chance to make a first impression.”But in the case of small nuclear reactors, she noted a public willingness to introduce nuclear power in areas such as oil sands extraction and even mining.“I don't want to underestimate how concerned the public might be, because when we've had a nuclear discussion before, there has been a pushback,” she said.“We have to just make sure that people understand the safety record, that type of technology that is being contemplated to be deployed as well as address any concern about risk head on.” “I think that there have obviously been people who think of some of the worst disasters in history and think that can happen here. I think that we'll be able to make sure that we do a good communication on it. I don't believe that all of the arguments of use the industry in the past have been necessarily fair and I just wanted to let them know not to take it for granted,” she added..“I just wanted to let them know not to take it for granted,”Premier Danielle Smith.In her speech, Smith noted how environmentalists managed to hijack the accomplishments of the oil sands industry with a single catch-all phrase: ‘dirty oil’. “I’m sure you’ve all heard it,” she said.Smith said introducing nuclear power would help provide Alberta with another source of base load power after January’s close call that nearly brought down the electricity grid. It could also be particularly useful in the oil sands industry to generate steam and heat in oil production.To that end, the UCP government announced $600,000 for developer X-Energy to look into the possibility of introducing SMRs into Alberta’s electricity grid.The company says Alberta’s first reactor could be introduced sometime early in the next decade.Ontario is planning on deploying a fleet of SMRs at its Darlington site starting in 2028 and Smith is hopeful they could be rolled out in Alberta shortly thereafter in assembly line fashion. A typical SMR generates up to 300 megawatts — or less. By comparison, the Alberta Utilities Commission recently approved a 450-megawatt solar project southwest of Medicine Hat following the removal of the moratorium on new projects earlier this year.Last September, the UCP government granted $7 million to Calgary-based Cenovus Energy to study SMRs in the oil patch.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is warning the nuclear industry to communicate a positive message in order to facilitate a smooth rollout of small modular reactors.Speaking to a nuclear conference in Calgary on Tuesday, Smith said major — and controversial — industries such as nuclear don’t often get a “second chance to make a first impression.”But in the case of small nuclear reactors, she noted a public willingness to introduce nuclear power in areas such as oil sands extraction and even mining.“I don't want to underestimate how concerned the public might be, because when we've had a nuclear discussion before, there has been a pushback,” she said.“We have to just make sure that people understand the safety record, that type of technology that is being contemplated to be deployed as well as address any concern about risk head on.” “I think that there have obviously been people who think of some of the worst disasters in history and think that can happen here. I think that we'll be able to make sure that we do a good communication on it. I don't believe that all of the arguments of use the industry in the past have been necessarily fair and I just wanted to let them know not to take it for granted,” she added..“I just wanted to let them know not to take it for granted,”Premier Danielle Smith.In her speech, Smith noted how environmentalists managed to hijack the accomplishments of the oil sands industry with a single catch-all phrase: ‘dirty oil’. “I’m sure you’ve all heard it,” she said.Smith said introducing nuclear power would help provide Alberta with another source of base load power after January’s close call that nearly brought down the electricity grid. It could also be particularly useful in the oil sands industry to generate steam and heat in oil production.To that end, the UCP government announced $600,000 for developer X-Energy to look into the possibility of introducing SMRs into Alberta’s electricity grid.The company says Alberta’s first reactor could be introduced sometime early in the next decade.Ontario is planning on deploying a fleet of SMRs at its Darlington site starting in 2028 and Smith is hopeful they could be rolled out in Alberta shortly thereafter in assembly line fashion. A typical SMR generates up to 300 megawatts — or less. By comparison, the Alberta Utilities Commission recently approved a 450-megawatt solar project southwest of Medicine Hat following the removal of the moratorium on new projects earlier this year.Last September, the UCP government granted $7 million to Calgary-based Cenovus Energy to study SMRs in the oil patch.
