Discussions Taking Place for Two Proposed Nuclear Power Plants for Peace River Area

Initial discussions have begun on the installation of a new Nuclear Reactor Plant in Northern Alberta. A company called Nucleon Energy is proposing two such projects in the Grimshaw area south of Peace River.

“We are looking at siting two developments, one in the northwest and one in the northeast,” Dustin Wilkes – Nucleon Energy chief executive officer

Dustin Wilkes, CEO of Nucleon Energy says that the community of Birch Hills contacted the company about the idea of a nuclear power plant after seeing a steep decline in oil an gas revenues in the area – are are looking to replace lost revenue. Initial information sessions began 2 years ago and now community interest and acceptance is being gauged on the idea of a nuclear power project for the area.

Wilkes says Birch Hills County took the initiative to express its interest in having a nuclear power plant in their county, and they’ve already conducted information sessions in their community a couple of years ago. Initial studies have confirmed it would be feasible for building a ” Small Modular Reactor ” or SMR as the industry refers to the size of plant being considered for the region.

Numerous factors go into consideration of such a project including community support as well as power availability and environmental concerns. Currently a main powerline runs through area and would impact the Municipal District of Smoky River as well as Northern Sunrise County. A plant such as the one being proposed for the area has a lifespan of 80 to a 100 years after installation.

The corporation estimates a gigawatt class reactors such as the plant prosed would could generate up to 600 new jobs for people required to work at the plant and an additional requirement of 1000 plus workers to build the plant itself. This doesn’t take into account maintenance crews that would be required to take care of the facility.

Alberta’s History of Flirting with Nuclear Energy

Alberta has been considering nuclear power for over a half century, driven by its energy reliant oil sands and growing electricity needs. In the early 90s discussions took place on the idea of building a large reactor on the shores of Cold Lake citing it’s deep cold water. In 2005, a new proposals emerged when the Energy Alberta Corporation pitched a nuclear plant near Peace River to power the oil sands. By 2007, they applied for a license to build twin ACR-1000 reactors, aiming for 2017 operations. Bruce Power took over in 2008, expanding the vision to 4,000 megawatts, but soaring costs ($6.2 billion), cheap natural gas, and public unease over waste killed it by 2011.

Fast forward to the 2020s, and nuclear is back in the spotlight. In 2020, Alberta joined Ontario, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick to explore small modular reactors (SMRs)—compact, next-gen units promising cleaner, flexible power. A 2022 strategic plan followed, with Alberta eyeing SMRs for both grid and industrial use. In 2024, Capital Power and Ontario Power Generation launched a two-year study for Alberta SMRs, while Energy Alberta revived its Peace Region dream with a 4,800-megawatt conventional plant proposal. The province has committed $7 million for oil sands SMR research in 2023 and $600,000 in 2024 to study repurposing fossil fuel sites by 2035.

Despite enthusiasm, challenges loom: high costs, regulatory voids, and public skepticism—only 51% of Albertans back nuclear, per a 2023 poll, trailing solar and wind and the long term nature of these projects make costs prohibitive as a facility can take up to 10 years to build and bring to market.

Nuclear Power Plant’s in Canada

Operational Nuclear Power Plants

Bruce Nuclear Generating Station
- Location: Kincardine, Ontario (on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, ~190 km northwest of Toronto)
- Details: World’s largest operating nuclear facility, with 8 reactors producing 6,610 MW.
Darlington Nuclear Generating Station
- Location: Clarington, Ontario (near Bowmanville, ~70 km east of Toronto on Lake Ontario)
- Details: 4 reactors with a capacity of 3,512 MW, undergoing refurbishment for extended operation.
Pickering Nuclear Generating Station
- Location: Pickering, Ontario (~30 km east of Toronto on Lake Ontario)
- Details: 6 operational reactors (out of 8 total), producing ~3,100 MW; one of the oldest still running.
Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station
- Location: Point Lepreau, New Brunswick (~30 km southwest of Saint John, on the Bay of Fundy)
- Details: 1 reactor with a capacity of 660 MW, supplying ~38% of New Brunswick’s electricity.

Notable Decommissioned Nuclear Power Plants

Gentilly-2 Nuclear Generating Station
- Location: Bécancour, Quebec (near Trois-Rivières, on the St. Lawrence River)
- Details: Shut down in December 2012; once had 1 reactor producing 675 MW. Decommissioning ongoing.

Additional Notes

Prototype/Decommissioned Sites: Canada also has smaller, non-commercial reactors (e.g., Douglas Point in Ontario, Gentilly-1 in Quebec) that were prototypes and are now decommissioned, managed as waste facilities.
Research Reactors: Facilities like the Chalk River Laboratories (Ontario) and McMaster Nuclear Reactor (Hamilton, Ontario) exist for research and isotope production, not grid power.

This list focuses on power-generating plants. All 19 operational commercial reactors are in Ontario (18) and New Brunswick (1). Alberta has no nuclear plants

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