Ottawa Goes All-In on Nuclear Power
Ottawa is doubling down on nuclear energy, releasing a sweeping national strategy that calls for the construction of new reactors across Canada and a concerted push to export Canadian nuclear expertise and technology to the world.
The federal government's plan, outlined in its updated nuclear energy strategy, marks one of the most significant pivots in Canadian energy policy in decades. Rather than treating nuclear power as a legacy industry winding down, Ottawa is now positioning it as a cornerstone of Canada's clean energy future — and a major growth sector for Canadian workers and businesses.
What the Strategy Proposes
At the heart of the plan is a commitment to support new reactor builds, including small modular reactors (SMRs), which are a next-generation technology Canada has been quietly developing for years. SMRs are smaller, faster to build, and more flexible than traditional large-scale nuclear plants, making them attractive for remote communities, industrial operations, and electricity grids that need reliable low-carbon baseload power.
The strategy also calls for Canada to aggressively market its nuclear technology abroad. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and companies like Cameco — which mines uranium in Saskatchewan — are already global players, but the new framework aims to coordinate federal support behind export deals in a way that hasn't been done before.
Why Nuclear, Why Now?
The timing isn't accidental. With Canada under pressure to meet its 2030 and 2050 emissions targets, policymakers are increasingly recognizing that renewables alone — wind, solar, hydro — can't do the job on their own. Nuclear produces zero direct carbon emissions and runs around the clock regardless of weather, making it a natural complement to intermittent clean energy sources.
Ontario, which already gets roughly 60 percent of its electricity from nuclear plants at Pickering, Darlington, and Bruce, has been a vocal advocate for expanding the sector. The province is in the middle of major refurbishment projects to extend the lives of existing reactors, and has committed to building new SMRs at the Darlington site — the first of their kind in Canada.
Jobs and Economic Opportunity
Beyond climate goals, the federal government is pitching nuclear as an economic engine. Canada's nuclear supply chain supports tens of thousands of jobs, and Ottawa argues that a proactive export strategy could capture a significant share of the global nuclear market as countries around the world reconsider atomic energy in the face of energy security concerns.
The strategy comes as nations from Poland to South Korea to the United Arab Emirates are either building or seriously considering new nuclear capacity. Canadian companies want a seat at that table.
What Critics Are Saying
Not everyone is on board. Environmental groups have long raised concerns about nuclear waste storage — Canada still lacks a permanent deep geological repository for spent fuel — and some argue that the billions needed for new reactor builds could be better spent accelerating renewables. The cost overruns that plagued large nuclear projects in other countries are a cautionary tale that critics are quick to cite.
Still, public opinion on nuclear in Canada has shifted noticeably in recent years, with polls showing growing support, particularly among younger Canadians who see it as a pragmatic climate solution.
The Bottom Line
Ottawa's nuclear strategy is a bold bet that Canada can lead the world in clean, reliable atomic energy — and make money doing it. Whether the reactors actually get built on time and on budget will determine if that bet pays off.
Source: Global News Ottawa via Google News RSS feed.
