B.C. Conservative Party Leader John Rustad said British Columbians need to have a conversation about nuclear power as part of a push toward energy independence.
"This is part of the conversation — what is that cost?" he said Tuesday (Oct.1), when asked about the idea. "We need to be able to be honest with people in British Columbia, make sure they know what prices are going to be.
..what are the options, what are the choices that we have in front of us, what are the impacts on rates, how do we make sure that we keep life affordable for people in British Columbia?" Rustad made these comments as he presented his party's energy platform near Squamish.
It includes a commitment to a small modular reactor (SMR) operating by 2035 — "if, and only if, the business case makes sense, seismic safety is addressed, and the idea has the confidence of the public." SMRs are smaller, less powerful reactors than traditional systems. According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, three SMRs currently operate globally: two in China, one in Russia.
A fourth is under construction in Argentina. SMRs have gained some political support because they can be used in a less centralized fashion. Instead of one large system feeding a multitude of users, multiple SMRs can be used to power specific users, from smaller communities to factories.
Supporters point to advanced safety features. Both the United States and the United Kingdom are pushing forward with plans for such systems..