With the emergence of new nuclear energy technologies, states may soon begin to reconsider how nuclear generation factors into their energy portfolio. What is expected to be the first operational Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in North America is currently being built in Ontario, Canada. In addition to the SMR, Ontario’s current and planned nuclear programs require the development of a skilled workforce and a reliable supply chain of critical minerals. To facilitate an exchange of knowledge and expertise on the cost and timelines associated with new nuclear energy projects, CSG South, in partnership with the Government of Ontario (through the Ontario Investment and Trade Office in Dallas, Texas) hosted the Bigger May Not Be Better: The Potential of Small Nuclear Reactors to Address Energy Needs Policy Masterclass.  

Twenty participants from ten Southern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia – participated in the Masterclass over four days. The first day included arrivals and an evening reception jointly hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada (AmCham) and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) at the OTPP headquarters in Toronto. Officials from both organizations; diplomats from the U.S. Consulate General in Toronto (including the Consul General) also participated.  

Over the next three days, attendees participated in 17 learning sessions ranging from information on SMR technology to critical minerals to workforce development. Throughout the Masterclass, participants engaged with top Ontario officials, including:  

  • Premier Doug Ford 
  • Ted Arnott, Legislative Assembly Speaker 
  • Stephen Lecce, Minister for Energy and Electrification 
  • Jill Dunlop, Minister for Education 
  • Victor Fedeli, Minister for Economic Development 
  • Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries 

Participants travelled to the Darlington Nuclear Station operated by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) where they received briefings on nuclear expansion, waste management, and supply chain growth and undertook a walkthrough of a mockup Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactor and a bus tour of the Darlington site, including where the SMR is being constructed.  

The 17 Learning Sessions were as follows: 

  • Learning Session 17: Canada, the United States and Top Tier Nuclear Nations: A Comparative Policy Analysis  Presenter: Chad Richards, Nuclear Innovation Institute 

The 20 participants were as follows:  

  • Mr. Joshua Baxter, Attorney Specialist for the Arkansas Public Service Commission 
  • Senator George Burns, Oklahoma 
  • Senator Danny Carroll, Kentucky 
  • Representative Micah Caskey, South Carolina 
  • Senator Hillman Frazier, Mississippi 
  • Representative Donna Givens, Alabama 
  • Delegate Anitra Hamilton, West Virginia 
  • Senator Bob Hensgens, Louisiana 
  • Representative Brian Hill, Oklahoma 
  • Representative Jason Hughes, Louisiana 
  • Senator Andrew Jones, Alabama 
  • Representative Jack Ladyman, Arkansas 
  • Representative Annie McDaniel, South Carolina 
  • Senator Matt McKee, Arkansas 
  • Representative Sam McKenzie, Tennessee 
  • Secretary of Energy & Environment, Ken McQueen, Oklahoma 
  • Mr. Weasley Seaman, Energy Project Manager for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce 
  • Delegate George Street, West Virginia 
  • Representative Bill Werkheiser, Georgia 
  • Representative Bruce Williamson, Georgia 

Click here for photo gallery

The post Bigger May Not Be Better: The Potential of Small Nuclear Reactors to Address Energy Needs  appeared first on CSG South.

Recommended Posts