Saskatchewan, which is a province in Canada, has jumped to the forefront of new energy technology. It is not doing this with loan guarantees for solar power companies or massive land grants for wind power businesses. Rather, it is looking into what may prove to be the biggest change in energy technology in this century: the adoption of small modular nuclear power plants.
A sunset over the city of Saskatoon located in Central Canada.
The Saskatchewan government is creating an office within its Ministry of Environment to plan the adoption of nuclear power. The policy fits for the province in part because Saskatchewan is a source of uranium. This program would allow the province to keep its energy production local. Also, Saskatchewan is large geographically but small in population, so it could benefit greatly from the flexibility of these plants.
The Sue C open pit uranium mine at Areva Resources 16 July 2007 in McClean Lake, Saskatchewan, ... [+]
The small modular reactors (SMRs) Saskatchewan is looking at can produce between 50 and 300 megawatts of power. They are aiming for small plants that could even be transportable. We have written about small modular nuclear reactors before, including its benefits for businesses and small municipalities. For a full province of 251,700 square miles and almost 1.2 million people, these SMRs would provide flexibility and cost efficiency, with the added benefit of providing electricity without pollution.
It is often cost prohibitive to build large, traditional nuclear power plants. Utilities and governments just don’t want to build them anymore. According to the Energy Information Administration, the average age of a nuclear plant in the United States is 39 years old. SMRs can be commissioned for much less. They are also ideal for smaller population centers, and the largest city in the province, Saskatoon, has fewer than 300,000 people. SMRs could also be great power sources for factories and server farms.
Saskatchewan is still committed to solar and wind projects to operate in conjunction with traditional power generation like natural gas-powered plants. However, if Saskatchewan does proceed with its nuclear ambitions, it could be a great example and guide for governments across the world.
