While Alberta may be best known for its oil and gas industry, a conference in downtown Edmonton this week is hyping another form of energy: Nuclear.
"The potential is tremendous here," said May Wong, a senior vice-president with power generator Capital Power, which is exploring the possibility of building small modular reactors ( SMRs ) in Alberta.
"We have a moment in time where we can transform our industry and create a new industry."
Smaller in scale and output than a traditional nuclear reactor, SMRs are built in a factory; in theory, they are cheaper, safer and quicker to construct, and can be used in less-populated regions.
Nuclear power already exists in New Brunswick and Ontario , with Ontario relying on nuclear for more than half of its electricity. The province also has plans to ramp up its nuclear capacity through the use of SMRs — an initiative that made Ottawa's recent list of fast-tracked " nation-building projects ."
May Wong is a senior vice-president with Capital Power, which is working with Ontario Power Generation on a plan to potentially bring SMRs to Alberta.
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