Blog by Writer & Content Specialist Sarah Moore. Banner photo: Benita5 from pixabay
The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) has received many requests for information about potential nuclear energy projects and how they would affect the watershed and water security in Alberta. In this FAQ blog, we answer the most common questions and provide links for readers seeking additional information.
What is happening with nuclear energy in Alberta?
The Government of Alberta is currently exploring the viability of nuclear power in Alberta and is seeking public input through a survey that closes on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, and other engagement activities. You can fill out the survey here.
At the same time, Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities and MLA for Lethbridge East, has traveled to the UK to attend the World Nuclear Symposium and Canada-UK Nuclear Day 2025. His itinerary for this trip also includes touring nuclear facilities and meeting with contacts in the utility industry to discuss investment opportunities and energy challenges, solutions, and technical developments.
Why is the Government of Alberta gathering public input on nuclear power?
The Government of Alberta has said that potential nuclear power projects could range from small modular reactors powering oilsands facilities to nuclear power plants feeding Alberta’s grid. Premier Danielle Smith has said potential data centres, which power artificial intelligence and other applications, would be one of the largest users of nuclear energy.
Is a nuclear power project likely to happen in the Oldman watershed?
While we can’t say with certainty, it is unlikely that a nuclear power project would be proposed or built in the Oldman watershed. It is unlikely that our watershed has enough available water to support a nuclear power project, especially given that the majority of our water is used for irrigation to support food production.
If built, a nuclear project in Alberta would probably use CANDU reactors, a type of nuclear reactor that requires large volumes of water to cool equipment. (Learn more about cooling here.) An initial project description summary for a nuclear power project proposed near Peace River said that it “will use cooling tower systems to manage and supply cooling water, with sufficient water supply from on-site large reservoirs, which will be gradually filled from the Peace River.”
An example of the cooling towers used by a nuclear power plant. Photo: Vladimír Sládek from Pexels
The Peace River is Alberta’s largest river with the highest flow volume and a mean annual discharge of 68,200,000,000 m3 at Peace Point in Wood Buffalo National Park. In comparison, the Oldman River is much smaller. The mean annual discharge from the South Saskatchewan River Basin (which includes the Red Deer, Oldman, Bow, and South Saskatchewan Rivers) is 9,280,000,000 m3 — more than seven times smaller than the Peace River.
How would a nuclear power project affect the watershed?
A nuclear power project in another region of Alberta probably wouldn’t directly affect the Oldman watershed.
In addition to water being used for cooling, the watershed where the project is located could be affected in other ways. These potential risks include treated wastewater entering the environment; altered groundwater permeability and flow; changes in surface water and sediment quality; dewatering for reactor building excavation (removing groundwater to create a dry, stable working environment); changes to water quantity and flow dynamics changes to wetlands, riparian areas, and wildlife habitat; and disruptions to natural drainage patterns.
Two mergansers napping near Cameron Lake, Alberta. Photo: Connie Simmons
Wildlife in the watershed, such as fish and migratory birds, could also be affected. Changes to and loss of habitat (including shorelines), changes in water quality and levels, improper waste management, loss of soils and vegetation, sensory disturbances from blasting, and destruction of bird nests are some of the potential risks.
Additionally, the watershed where uranium used for nuclear power is mined can be affected. When uranium is mined and milled, it uses water that must be remediated (made safer) afterward. The tailings (rock left over after mine processing) are radioactive and are stored and monitored in tailings management facilities, such as tailing ponds or mined-out open pits. As of the end of 2019, Canada has 218 million tonnes of uranium mine and mill tailings.
Looking at the effects of other natural resource extraction and energy generation in the province provides an indication of what could be expected from a newly developed project.
Where would uranium for a nuclear project in Alberta come from?
If Alberta pursues a nuclear power project, the uranium would most likely come from northern Saskatchewan, as that’s where all operating uranium mines and mills in Canada are.
Where would waste be stored?
In Canada, all used nuclear fuel is stored at the site where it was produced.
Longer term, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization has selected Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace in northwest Ontario as a site for a “deep geological repository” to store waste, where it wouldn’t shift for 400,000 years (the length of time the waste would be radioactive enough to be harmful if leaked). If the organization gets relevant approvals, construction would begin in the 2030s with the goal of having the site open in the 2040s.
Has Alberta ever had nuclear power?
Alberta has not used nuclear energy to supply power to the grid. In April 2008, the Alberta government appointed the Nuclear Power Expert Panel to prepare a comprehensive report on nuclear power in Alberta. You can read more about that process here. After the publication of this report, the Alberta government said “it would consider nuclear power plants on a case-by-case basis and that no government resources would be spent on developing nuclear energy.”
There was a proposal by Bruce Power to construct a plant outside of Peace River to help provide energy for oilsands expansion; this proposal was withdrawn in December 2011.
In April 2025, Energy Alberta proposed the construction of two twin CANDU MONARK nuclear reactors, about 30 kilometres north of Peace River. On Aug. 20, 2025, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada suspended the timeline for the impact assessment for this project at the request of Energy Alberta.
The Peace River. Photo: Kabit Bhattarai from Pexels
How long does a nuclear power project take to build and what does it cost?
Nuclear power plants take 10–15 years to plan and build, while small modular reactors take 7–10 years to plan and build. As is often the case with large infrastructure, construction delays are common. The International Energy Agency found that recent nuclear power projects had average delays of six to seven years.
A nuclear power plant costs up to $15 billion, while small modular reactors cost about $6 billion. Ontario is set to begin construction on the first of four small modular reactors, which has a total project cost of $20.9 billion. Large, centralized power plants around the world have mean cost overruns of 120%.
The Government of Alberta has said it anticipates that the private market would pay for nuclear power development, but that it would set up a Crown corporation if needed. All existing nuclear projects in Canada have been financed through Crown corporations.
How many jobs would be created?
It depends on the project. Energy Alberta said that its proposed plant near Peace River would create 33,500 full-time equivalent jobs per year over nine years during construction, and that 3,500 full-time equivalent jobs would be needed once the plant is operational.
What is the regulatory process for reviewing a nuclear power plant application in Alberta?
We don’t know yet how the province would regulate the provincial aspects of nuclear power, but nuclear energy is regulated federally by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which is responsible for licensing sites, overseeing construction and operation, and regulating waste storage and decommissioning.
Provincially, the province says that input gathered by a panel in its current engagement process “will help inform a … regulatory framework to support a nuclear energy industry in Alberta.” The OWC understands this to mean that a regulatory system is not currently in place but would be developed after consultations are complete.
The regulatory process would take several years for a company to complete.
How does nuclear energy compare to other forms of energy?
The space that a nuclear power facility takes up is smaller than the amount of land needed for a comparable amount of power generated by other sources, such as wind and solar power.
Nuclear energy is very reliable. Solar and wind energy is dependent on weather, with battery energy storage systems making the supply of energy more reliable.
Solar panels last about 40 years. Wind turbines last 25–30 years. Nuclear reactors last about 70 years.
Solar and wind energy generate electricity that costs 2.4 to 9.6 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour. Electricity from nuclear sources costs between 14 and 22 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour.
Wind turbines across the water from North Forks Boat Launch at the Oldman Dam in August 2022. Photo: Conlan Donahue
What’s the difference between SMRs and a traditional nuclear power plant?
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are less expensive and faster to build than a traditional power plant. They are still significant infrastructure projects, taking 7–10 years and about $6 billion to plan and build. They take up space ranging from a 3-storey building up to a city block, as opposed to the roughly three square kilometres a nuclear power plant needs. SMRs produce less than half the energy of a power plant. SMRs produce electricity that is initially about twice as costly as that produced by traditional reactors.
What happens next?
An online survey is open until Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025 to understand what questions Albertans have about nuclear energy, which topics matter most to them, and how they prefer to learn about nuclear energy.
A second survey is scheduled for later in 2025.
Industry, municipalities, Indigenous communities and others are also invited to share their input through an online request for information which will be open until Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
The Government of Alberta says in-person meetings and engagement sessions with Indigenous communities, municipalities, and industry will take place later this year and into 2026.
The Government of Alberta has appointed a panel that will present a report to Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities, by March 1, 2026.
You can learn more about the Government of Alberta’s engagement process here.
In summary
While there are a lot of unknowns, we can look to nuclear projects in other jurisdictions and other energy generation projects in Alberta to get an indication of what might be expected. Among other factors, it would be important to consider how a potential project would affect the watershed, and to mitigate potential risks.
In the meantime, we encourage you to participate in the provincial engagement process. By working together, we can ensure that our energy needs are met, our watersheds stay healthy, and water security remains a priority.
Like all OWC’s blogs, this post was written by a real live human, without the use of generative AI.
