The federal minister responsible for innovation and industry says Canada could be at risk of losing out on attracting green industries if it doesn害羞草研究所檛 consider all options for renewable electricity, which he says include nuclear power.

Fran莽ois-Philippe Champagne said in an interview with The Canadian Press that he considers nuclear power part of the renewable energy portfolio that needs to grow to support the country害羞草研究所檚 lean into 害羞草研究所渢he economy of the 21st century.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淣uclear, definitely,害羞草研究所� Champagne said on Friday. 害羞草研究所淔or me, we have to look at hydro, we have to look at nuclear, we have to look at small modular reactors, we have to look at wind, we have to look at solar.害羞草研究所�

Small modular reactors are a type of advanced nuclear power plant that the International Atomic Energy Agency says can be prefabricated and shipped to sites unsuited to larger conventional reactors. The federal government has previously said it wants to become 害羞草研究所渁 global leader in SMR deployment.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 can tell you when investors are calling me, they are not looking for subsidies,害羞草研究所� said Champagne. 害羞草研究所淭hey are looking for renewable energy, they害羞草研究所檙e looking for talent, they害羞草研究所檙e looking for the right ecosystem, they害羞草研究所檙e looking for access to market. So, I would say that today, renewable energy is key to attracting investment, and that害羞草研究所檚 why we害羞草研究所檙e going to be there.害羞草研究所�

Canada has announced a number of new investments designed to integrate into global green supply chains in recent years. They include a billion-dollar battery plant expansion in Maple Ridge, B.C., that was unveiled last November and is aimed at producing up to 135 million batteries a year.

Officials from battery maker E-One Moli said one of the reasons its Taiwanese parent company chose Canada for the expansion is the availability of sustainably produced electricity.

Champagne said in a previous interview that Canada was reaching its renewable energy production limits, something he reiterated in Vancouver while pointing to nuclear technology as a key part of the solution.

害羞草研究所淚 think you have to look at all the renewable sources of energy, and I think certainly British Columbia like Manitoba or like Quebec has been blessed with hydro power,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淥ftentimes, I say we live out of the dividend of people who came before us in terms of renewable energy. Now, for us, I think the dividend that we need to leave to the next generation is to make sure that we make the investments now so we will continue to have the power to develop our natural resources in a sustainable and responsible way. And obviously, renewable energy has become key.害羞草研究所�

York University professor of environmental and urban change Mark Winfield said the federal government害羞草研究所檚 recent inclusion of nuclear power among options for decarbonizing electricity production is troubling.

害羞草研究所淵es, compared to fossil fuel sources (nuclear) is relatively low carbon, depending on certain assumptions,害羞草研究所� Winfield said. 害羞草研究所淏ut it carries with it a huge, a very serious range of negative trade-offs. It essentially fails every other test of sustainability.害羞草研究所�

Among Winfield害羞草研究所檚 concerns are typically high initial capital costs during construction of nuclear plants, which have previously included cost overruns and delays in Canada.

He said he also worries about the management of nuclear waste 害羞草研究所渙n time scales of a million years害羞草研究所� as well as the impact of uranium mining.

Industry proponents point to nuclear power害羞草研究所檚 dependable nature, since it doesn害羞草研究所檛 rely on weather conditions that can affect solar and wind generation.

George Christidis of the Canadian Nuclear Association said the strength of nuclear power was its ability to provide 害羞草研究所渘on-emitting base load power generation, which basically means that it provides a foundation in an energy system and an energy mix.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hat means more clean energy generation that then helps to decarbonize other sectors,害羞草研究所� he said.

Christidis said while nuclear plants have high initial capital costs, those costs are amortized over a longer period compared to other power plants, meaning more stable costs than facilities at the whim of fluctuating fossil fuel prices.

He said the potential for small modular reactors is huge, as other countries will look to Canada to produce such reactors for decarbonizing power generation.

Within Canada, smaller nuclear reactors of various sizes are being planned or explored in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and Christidis said they could be 害羞草研究所渇undamental to shifting away from the use of coal害羞草研究所� in these provinces.

害羞草研究所淭he applications (of SMRs) to widen the transition into these clean energy solutions in the small reactor space, they害羞草研究所檙e very real,害羞草研究所� he said.

Winfield, however, said people should be skeptical because the small modular nuclear reactors being discussed are designs that have not been realized.

害羞草研究所淣obody has built an SMR anywhere,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭his is part of the problem; they don害羞草研究所檛 exist, even as prototypes.害羞草研究所�

Winfield said, even beyond the cost and waste management aspects, nuclear power presents too much risk to warrant consideration as part of Canada害羞草研究所檚 bid to bring more green industry online.

害羞草研究所淵ou have catastrophic accidents, safety, security, weapons proliferations, risks that just don害羞草研究所檛 exist in relation to any other energy technology 害羞草研究所� all of which would suggest that this technology would be an option of absolute last resort when all other options around decarbonization have been fully developed and optimized,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think we害羞草研究所檙e anywhere near that in Canada at this stage.害羞草研究所�