Nuclear power has been making headlines in recent weeks, with guest commentaries in all three New Brunswick daily papers critical of NB Power’s plans to build more nuclear reactors, as well as news articles about presentations to the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship, and an upcoming hearing of NB Power’s request for a 25-year licence renewal for the Point Lepreau nuclear plant.
Several media commentaries and news articles featured increasing scepticism of the claim that nuclear power can play a role in Canada’s climate goals and help meet the current national emissions reductions target of 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Both federal and New Brunswick plans for emissions reductions feature small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). However, these plans are now openly questioned.
CBC reported on Jan. 19 that retired NB Power CEO Gaëtan Thomas and Saint John Energy VP Ryan Mitchell both warned that SMRs might not be ready by 2030, a date previously promoted by proponents, when the Belledune coal energy plant must be shut down. Dale Beguin of the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices also warned that SMRs are a “wild card,” far from a sure thing that could contribute to emissions reductions.
On Jan. 20, NB Power CEO Keith Cronkite explained the utility’s ‘laser-focus’ on helping to ensure SMRs are up and running by 2030. However the Pembina Institute’s new report, Toward a Clean Atlantic Grid, presents a more economically viable option to provide reliable electricity in New Brunswick using clean renewable energy instead of natural (fracked) gas and nuclear power.
Anyone interested to learn more about nuclear issues in New Brunswick will have two opportunities soon. Part one of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s (CNSC) relicensing hearing for Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station will be webcast live on Jan. 26. NB Power will make its case for a 25-year licence and CNSC staff will respond, with questions from CNSC Commissioners.
Part two of the CNSC hearings, scheduled for May 11 and 12, will feature presentations by intervenors. Intervenors can be members of the public, Indigenous groups and other stakeholders with an interest or expertise in nuclear issues, or who have information that may be useful to the Commission.
To date, registered intervenors include the Passamaquoddy Recognition Group, the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick, Kopit Lodge, Mi’gmawe’I Tplu’taqnn Incorporated, the Canadian Environmental Law Association and the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick, Dr. Helmy Ragheb and Gordon Dalzell. However, many more people and groups may decide to register to intervene by the CNSC deadline of March 28th.
To share information about the many methods of intervening, the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick (CRED-NB) and the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) will host a how-to webinar on February 7.
A new resource will be available before the webinar from the RAVEN project at the University of New Brunswick. RAVEN’s upcoming report, The Future of Point Lepreau: Option B, will offer a different perspective on the past, present and future of Point Lepreau.
Kim Reeder is a senior policy advisor for the RAVEN project at the University of New Brunswick and the lead author of the new RAVEN report on Point Lepreau that the project will publish later this month.
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