Let’s get real: nuclear energy is by far the most expensive way to generate electricity, and SMRs will not get us to net zero by 2050. The perils of wishful thinking include fuelling false hope, leading to bad decisions about energy choices across Canada.
Keeping the Point Lepreau and SMR fantasies alive will require considerable effort from the new government. Susan Holt’s handling of the nuclear file will be an early test—both of her leadership and her commitment to wishful thinking.
What’s needed is a strong statement from Natural Resources Canada that we will never accept high-level nuclear waste from other nations, and an amendment to the policy to make that permanent.