Peace River Nuclear Project

Peace River Nuclear Power Project

Kevin L. St. Albert., Alberta

If this project was proposed to be built in Alberta's Industrial Heartland ( near my home) I would be fully supportive of the project.

Having a stable and reliable electrical energy system in Alberta is paramount to our continued collective well being for a number of reasons.

The all in cost for electricity generated by nuclear can be up to the 10 cent /kWh range when construction occurs efficiently and with warranted regulatory oversight.  The all in cost for solar and on-shore wind is in the 3-9 cents/kWh range.  The moderately higher cost for nuclear electricity is entirely justified: nuclear electricity is availble on a continuous and very reliable basis; the operation of a nuclear facility has a very low GHG impact; the ability to strategically locate a nuclear power plant; and, the land footprint of a nuclear power plant is exceptionally smaller than is the land footprint for solar and wind for each kWh of electricity produced in comparison to nuclear.

Canada has fully integrated nuclear eco-system.  The proposed 4 CANDU reactors, with potential to produce up to 4,800 MW, are based on well proven Canadian technology, uses uranium mined in Saskatchewan, and all required nuclear expertise - design, engineers, construction, refurbishment and operational expertise is in Canada.

From a safety perspective the amount of background radiation that a person living near a nuclear power plant is exposed to is the equivalent of 1/100th the dose one is exposed to from an x-ray and 1/1800th of the annual average dose one is exposed to from naturally occuring background radiation ( see Canadian Nuclear Association Factbook 2021 page 84) . The amount of high level waste generated from a nuclear plant is very small.  If all the electricty that the average 80 year old would consume in his entire lifetime came from a nuclear poer plant, the resulting amount of high level waste would fit into a pop can.  Canada has a strong, multi-decade record for storing waste very safely and securely.  The risk of a major meltdown is exceptionally rare and the CANDU system has multiple physical barriers and fail safe systems to potect the public if this exceptionally rate event were to occur.

Laslty the economic impact would be massive - a multi-billion dollar construction project coupled with numerous high paying jobs form the operational staff once the plant is built will have a very positive economic impact for the surrounding community.