Nuclear Energy Engagement and Advisory Panel hosted a public townhall meeting in Peace River to discuss how nuclear power could be integrated into Alberta’s energy mix.
The meeting was held at the Quality Hotel and Conference Centre on Jan. 21.
Town hall representatives included Peace River MLA Dan Williams, Chestermere -Strathmore MLA Chantelle de Jonge, former Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview MLA Deron Bilous and two industry experts.
“In a world that is becoming increasingly reliant on electricity, we need to ensure that we are able to meet our increasing demands,” says Chantelle de Jonge.
“It’s an exciting time to talk about this technology specifically because we’re on the cusp of this technological revolution and not only is energy security more important than ever, but we’re also seeing AI play a larger role in our everyday lives and that is increasing the demands for electricity.”
She adds nuclear energy could be the solution to help power offices, keep homes warm and provide a reliable energy source.
“Nuclear energy also presents a chance to unlock more of Alberta’s incredible economic potential,” says de Jonge.
“We have a great energy story here in Alberta. A new industry means more good paying jobs and more opportunities for businesses and people across the province,” she adds.
De Jonge says the purpose of the meeting was to hear concerns and questions from the public about nuclear energy, protecting water, safety of transporting waste material, and more.
“Canada’s nuclear industry has been operating successfully for over half a century and within Canada there’s a wealth of knowledge and expertise to draw upon as we explore potential of nuclear energy,” she explains.
The initial concern voiced by a member of the audience was who would pay for potential nuclear energy reactors in the Peace River area. His concern was that the Province, namely taxpayers, would foot the bill and face financial risk with the construction of a reactor.
“We would expect that nuclear projects in Alberta would be led by private proponents, not by government,” says de Jonge.
“That’s why we’re looking at how this works within Alberta’s current electricity market structure.”
Various individuals in the crowd voiced support for the project, noting that they would like to see an increased employment opportunity in the area, and they felt that having a nuclear plant in the region would increase business for existing companies.
One member of the audience voiced her concerns about the dangers of nuclear reactors, inclusive of nuclear waste, water and soil heath, and the impact on the ability of farmers in close proximity to have crops certified as organic.
De Jonge answered by acknowledging these concerns are why they’re hosting the townhall meetings and she urged everyone to watch the nuclear energy engagement website for a survey that will be available soon.
One individual noted there are a number of renewable projects in the works and he wanted to know if the Province will be accepting these projects as well.
“When it comes to different energy sources, I take the approach of all of the above, you need all different types of energy,” says de Jonge.
“They all bring different things to the table in sense of Alberta’s grid.”
Bilous says at no point is nuclear replacing gas, it would be adding to the mix of electricity options including renewables.
“Government has been looking at projecting demand of electricity for the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years and we need to double, if not triple our capacity,” says Bilous.
“Part of that is to meet our industrial needs, part to meet our residential needs, and then we have an interest in building data centres which consume a significant amount of energy.”
Other meetings were also held in Fort McMurray and Bonnyville, with two other engagement meetings planned in Edmonton on Feb. 17 and Calgary on Feb. 12.
The panel urged the public to continue watching their website to ensure they continue having their voices heard through upcoming surveys and other upcoming townhall engagements.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter