Public interests must trump nuclear industry and union interests

Re:"We need nuclear power to meet our goals," (The Hill Times, Oct. 20). Tom Reid’s opinion column claiming that Canada needs nuclear power as fossil fuel is phased out, reflects an outdated and misleading understanding of the transition we need. It represents the interests of his union and the nuclear industry rather than the interests of the public. The public interest requires reliable, affordable, and truly clean energy. The most questionable of Reid’s claims focuses on the requirement for “baseload” power which he cites five times in his column, harkening to the existing aging CANDU reactors operating in Ontario and New Brunswick. Mycle Schneider, lead author of the October 2021 World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR), explained in a UBC school of public policy webinar, that “solar and wind alone cover a lot of what was called baseload in the past” and hence, “the baseload concept has flown out the window." He stated that “nuclear does not have that space, but is in direct competition." He suggests instead, that the best system is one with multiple sources and a shift in system design to make the best use of them all. The use of multiple sources, with increasingly innovative forms of storage and smart-grid technology to draw on each source—where and when needed—is the modern approach to truly reliable and affordable electricity. Perhaps more telling is Mr. Reid’s omission of any reference to the cost of nuclear power. This is particularly misleading in light of international reporting by Lazard for 2020, on levelized costs of power from various sources. In U.S. dollars, per megawatt, costs range as follows: wind from $26 to $54; utility scale solar from $29 to $42; geothermal from $59 to $101; large scale nuclear from $129 to $198. If an expensive 24/7 nuclear power source is allowed to crowd out maximum use of cheaper, renewable power, affordability will not be achieved. Similarly, there is no mention of the existence and costs of radioactive nuclear waste storage and disposal. Such wastes surely do not qualify nuclear power as ‘clean’! Further, there is no mention of the costs of decommissioning aged and highly radioactive reactors. The recent estimates of unfunded decommissioning costs for Ontario alone, amounted to $19.3-billion for a century-long process, based on the experience of other countries. This additional burden will fall on the taxpayer. Reid’s nuclear pitch relies heavily on claims for the ‘new generation’ of small modular nuclear reactors, which do not yet exist. The World Nuclear Industry Status Report makes it clear that these are unlikely to be part of the urgent transition to address climate targets. The pilot projects in China, Argentina, and Russia have been disappointing. In Canada, where five competing technologies are being considered, two models have completed the earliest phase 1 design reviews, revealing a number of areas of concern to be addressed. Importantly, in spite of significant government investments in small modular reactors (SMR) development in New Brunswick, neither NB Power’s 10-year-plan 2021-2030, nor its strategic plan for 2011-2040 include nuclear power coming on line from SMRs. An earlier cost analysis by M.V. Ramana concludes that SMRs are unlikely to be economically viable. The cost of electricity production is expected to be high, given the loss of economies of scale. The World Nuclear Industry Status Report also flags strong concerns over nuclear power’s experience of criminal activity and its particular challenges as to resilience when facing conditions of climate change and pandemics. Perhaps most disappointing, is that Reid continues to promote this nuclear industry ‘happy talk,' disregarding the documented critiques and experience to the contrary. The real interests of an electrical workers union may actually be more aligned with the public interest, by adapting and enhancing their skills and knowledge, as the world shifts to a modern electrical system design. The electrical workers are, after all, ratepayers benefiting from reliable, affordable and truly clean electricity. Gail Wylie is a climate activist and a member of the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development New Brunswick. The Hill Times