Overview of the Nuclear Power Expert Panel report

The report is written to provide an overview of the issues specifically related to adding nuclear-powered plants into the province’s inventory of electricity generating facilities and covers the following topics:

1. Electricity in Alberta

Analysis of the electricity supply and demand situation in Alberta indicates that significant additional electrical power will be needed in the future to maintain and improve the standard of living of Albertans. The decision to build a plant - whether powered by thermal combustion, water, wind, biomass, or nuclear - is a private-sector decision taken by a company based on its assessment of the project’s economic viability.

2. Options for meeting Alberta’s needs

Options for addressing the need of increased electricity supply include more fossil-fuel-burning power plants, more renewable sources such as hydroelectricity, biomass or wind, greater energy efficiency, as well as nuclear power. Each technology has trade-offs associated with it. Such trade-offs include the availability of technology, environmental impacts, costs and operating implications for Alberta’s electricity system.

3. An overview of nuclear power

The way a nuclear power plant generates electricity is very similar to a fossil power plant where heat produces steam that drives a turbine and generator. The main difference is that the initial heat is produced from nuclear fission. Nuclear power has been in use for generating electricity for more than 50 years, and more than 400 units are in operation worldwide. Nuclear power has attracted renewed interest recently because it does not release carbon dioxide or other air pollutants during operation.

4. Nuclear fuel management

The ‘nuclear fuel cycle’ includes the how fuel is mined and milled, how it operates in a reactor, and how it is disposed. Once fuel is discharged from the reactor, it is highly radioactive and continues to produce heat. In an open cycle, the fuel is placed in a reactor only once. After discharge, it is stored prior to ultimate disposal. In a closed cycle, 99 per cent of this material can be recycled to be reused as nuclear fuel while the remaining waste fission products decay comparatively quickly.

5. Nuclear safety

Safety issues specific to radioactivity, including radiation’s impacts on health and the environment; the safety goals and approaches related to nuclear power plants; plant design related to safety; lessons learned from past nuclear incidents; and issues associated with low-level waste.

6. Nuclear electricity in Alberta

A nuclear generating plant would have implications related to integration into the Alberta transmission grid as well as regional and provincial impacts associated with communities, infrastructure needs and the economy. Any nuclear generating plant would be a major construction project and have social impacts on schools, hospitals, transportation infrastructure, Aboriginal communities, local economies, housing and so on, much like other large industrial projects.

7. Nuclear regulation in Canada

In Canada, the Federal Government has the authority and responsibility for approving and regulating all nuclear facilities and nuclear-related activities. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulates the process for licensing new nuclear power plants and provides the necessary licences for site preparation, construction, operation, decommissioning, and abandonment. Normal provincial approvals required for any major project would also be required, based on the province’s constitutional responsibility for land and resources.

Nuclear Power Generation Public Consultations

The Alberta government is launching a multi-faceted public consultation process to hear the views of Albertans on nuclear power.

Albertans will be presented with the information gathered by the Expert Panel and asked for their feedback. The public consultation process will be managed by an independent research firm (selected by an open, Request for Proposals process) that will collect the data and provide a summary of the findings to the government after the completion of the public consultation process.

Albertans will be able to provide their views in a number of ways.

• Albertans can review and complete an interactive online workbook and feedback form that will cover the themes of the Expert Panel report (available in April).
• Alberta citizens may also review and complete a paper copy of the workbook and feedback form, available by phoning toll-free 310-0000, then 780-427-0265. Albertans can also print off a copy at the local public library or local office of the Member of the Legislative Assembly.
• Discussion groups with stakeholder groups, representative of environmental, business, energy, and other interests will be held.
• Discussion groups with randomly selected Alberta citizens will be held in 10 communities across Alberta.
• A public opinion survey representative of Albertans will be conducted.