With two proposed reactors, Saskatchewan joins Ontario in nuclear renaissance

KAREN HOWLETT From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
June 18, 2008 at 3:41 AM EDT

Saskatchewan has joined the nuclear boom.

Two provincial cabinet ministers looked on yesterday as a proposal to put two 1,000-megawatt reactors in the province was unveiled by a privately owned nuclear operator.

Bruce Power said that it is doing a feasibility study examining options for Saskatchewan to meet its growing electricity needs, including building nuclear reactors to replace the province's pollution-spewing coal-fired plants.

The announcement was made a day after the Ontario government said that it will build two new reactors at the Darlington Nuclear Station east of Toronto as part of its ambitious plan to expand and refurbish its existing fleet...........

But sources in the nuclear industry said Saskatchewan is looking at building two 1,000-megawatt reactors. Bruce Power said it plans to work with SaskPower, the province's electricity utility, to evaluate power demand for the province and to examine what transmission capacity is needed to accommodate new nuclear plants. The company intends to complete its study by the end of the year.

"Saskatchewan is becoming the most nuclear-friendly province," said one industry executive.
The province is already the world's No. 1 producer of uranium, a key ingredient for nuclear plants. One of Bruce Power's shareholders is Saskatchewan-based uranium giant Cameco Corp.
SaskPower currently has a capacity to generate 3,056 megawatts, the bulk of which comes from three coal-fired plants.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall began talking about capitalizing on the province's resource riches shortly after he was elected last November.

"We would like to lead," Mr. Wall told The Globe and Mail earlier this year. "It's time for the country to have a new national vision on nuclear energy - and we want to aggressively pursue that."

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