Not all nuclear is created equal

Traditional large-scale nuclear plants have long demonstrated that it is possible to produce dependable electricity at scale without direct greenhouse gas emissions. They provide steady, around-the-clock power that supports modern economies while helping jurisdictions meet climate goals. Yet the next chapter of nuclear energy is not simply about generating more electricity in the same way. Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs, deliver the same core benefit of non-emitting power, but they do so through a different technological model. One that opens the door to a much broader and more compelling value proposition: economic development.

Unlike conventional reactors, SMRs are designed to be smaller, modular, and in many cases, factory-fabricated before being transported for installation. That difference is a significant factor. Modular construction can lower upfront capital barriers, improve repeatability, and enable deployment in places where large reactors would not be practical. Canada’s SMR strategy emphasizes that these systems can serve not only grid-scale electricity needs, but also heavy industry, off-grid locations, and other specialized applications. In other words, SMRs are not merely smaller versions of existing plants; they are a more flexible platform for solving a wider set of energy and industrial challenges.

One of the most promising examples of that broader value lies in advanced technologies that can address one of the world’s persistent nuclear challenges: spent fuel management. New Brunswick has become a focal point for innovation in this area, particularly through work on technologies intended to recycle used nuclear fuel and convert it into fresh energy value. This approach reframes nuclear waste not simply as a liability, but as an opportunity for technological leadership, intellectual property development, and exportable expertise. If commercialized successfully, such innovation would give Canada a way to contribute solutions to a global issue while using it as a lever to create economic benefit.

SMRs also offer a practical pathway for remote and resource-based regions that continue to rely heavily on diesel generation. Across Canada, many remote communities and industrial sites remain dependent on high-cost, emission-intensive diesel for electricity and heat. Transportable and modular reactor technologies offer the possibility of replacing that dependence with reliable, non-emitting energy better suited to isolated locations. The implications go beyond emissions reduction alone: lower fuel logistics risk, improved energy security, and more stable long-term operating conditions could significantly change the economic outlook for remote communities, mines, and other off-grid operations.

Beyond remote applications, SMRs could play an important role in decarbonizing major industrial operations by supplying firm power and high-quality heat to sectors that are difficult to electrify through intermittent sources alone. They can also support entirely different value chains, including health care by way of the creation of medical isotopes. The significance of this is profound: the value of nuclear is no longer measured only in megawatt-hours, but also in its ability to support industrial competitiveness, health innovation, and secure domestic supply chains in critical sectors.

This is where the true strategic value of SMRs becomes clear. While electricity may be the immediate output, the larger prize is the economic ecosystem built around the technology. SMR development can activate underutilized supply chains, stimulate advanced manufacturing, create high-value exports, and generate new streams of domestic and international revenue. Analyses tied to SMR development in New Brunswick have projected substantial gains in employment, provincial and national GDP, and tax revenue if the province succeeds in becoming a hub for advanced reactor deployment and support services. For governments seeking growth as well as decarbonization, that dual benefit is exceptionally powerful.

Atlantic Canada is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity. Outside Ontario, New Brunswick is the only province in Canada currently generating commercial nuclear power, giving the region a foundation of operating experience, regulatory familiarity, workforce capability, and public policy relevance that others are only beginning to build. Point Lepreau has provided nuclear generation for decades, and for much of the last decade New Brunswick has also been home to significant SMR-related innovation, development, and policy momentum. Provincial strategy, project development activity, federal investment, and industry collaboration have all reinforced the province’s reputation as a first mover in advanced nuclear.

Not all nuclear is created equal. Conventional nuclear plants remain essential providers of large-scale, non-emitting electricity, but SMRs represent something more expansive: a new era in which nuclear energy becomes a catalyst for industrial renewal, regional development, export growth, and health sector innovation. As the world looks to nuclear energy to help meet rising electricity demand and climate commitments, jurisdictions that move early will shape markets, supply chains, and standards. Atlantic Canada, and New Brunswick in particular, is not watching this future from the sidelines. It is already at the table, with the experience, assets, and ambition to help define what comes next. I, for one, look forward to what the future will hold!