Premier Smith directs minister to develop roadmap for nuclear power in the province; public consultation period ends Oct. 25

By ZOE MASON on October 17, 2025.

zmason@medicinehatnews.com

Premier Danielle Smith tasked Affordability and Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf with the development of a roadmap and regulatory framework for nuclear power in the province in a new mandate letter issued Thursday.

Smith directed Neudorf, the minister leading the province’s exploration into nuclear power, to create guidelines based on ongoing public and stakeholder engagement.

Smith announced the Nuclear Energy Engagement and Advisory Panel and kicked off the period of public engagement on Aug. 25. The panel is gathering feedback from stakeholders, Indigenous communities and the broader public. The deadline for feedback is Oct. 25.

Public participants can take an online survey available on the province’s webpage. Industry and other stakeholders are asked to complete a Request for Information form about the opportunities and barriers involved in developing a nuclear industry in the province and submit it to the government via an email available on the provincial webpage.

The province has stated that the panel will work directly with Indigenous communities and organizations to gather their feedback.

The panel is composed of leaders from government, industry and academia. They are expected to deliver a final report to Neudorf by Mar. 1.

Smith has favoured the expansion of nuclear power to Alberta for years, but private-sector interest in developing nuclear facilities in the province has accelerated in recent months.

Energy Alberta, a private company, proposed a nuclear power plant near the town of Peace River earlier this year. The proposal consists of two to four large-scale CANDU reactors, which would generate up to 4,800 megawatts per year for 70 years, equivalent to 25 per cent of the Alberta’s existing electricity generation.

Ontario’s fleet of CANDU reactors supplies more than half the province’s electricity.

The Energy Alberta proposal follows several private-sector studies into the feasibility of SMR deployment in Alberta, including one by Cenovus Energy that received $7 million in funding from the province in 2023.

Ontario Power Generation received authorization to begin construction on four SMRs at the Darlington nuclear station in May. The Darlington reactors will be the first commercial SMRs built in a G7 country. The construction of the reactors was selected as one of the first five projects expedited by the new federal Major Projects Office.

Thursday’s mandate letter also references the province’s goal to expand artificial intelligence data centre investments in Alberta. One directive outlined in the letter asks Neudorf to facilitate the fast-tracking of AI data centre proponents that include projects to supply their own power.

In order to respond to significant new demand for electricity as a result of generative AI, several major tech companies have announced intentions to invest in nuclear energy.

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