Saskatchewan Eyes Nuclear Reactor Near Lloydminster to Power Three Provinces

Saskatchewan is reopening the conversation about nuclear power in its west, with Premier Scott Moe pointing to potential reactor sites along the North Saskatchewan River in the Lloydminster area.

Speaking at the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show on Sept. 17, Moe cast nuclear generation as a possible answer to electricity demand he expects to rise sharply alongside heavy-oil and mining expansion, including uranium and potash activity.

A return to earlier site work

Moe said Saskatchewan had studied potential reactor locations along the North Saskatchewan River more than a decade ago and is now reviving that information to determine how it could proceed.

“We have done a fair amount of work over a decade ago at various sites along the North Saskatchewan River,” Moe said. “We are looking at how we are going to be able to move forward with a nuclear site here in the western side of the province to power what is going to be needed in the years ahead.”

The proposal remains at an exploratory stage. Moe said no specific timeline has been set, though he hopes for progress within several years. At the same time, he cautioned that any nuclear development would itself take years.

“This isn’t going to happen overnight,” Moe said.

Power demand drives discussion

The premier’s case for considering nuclear generation rests on the scale of anticipated industrial electricity demand.

“Our power needs are going to increase and increase substantially,” Moe said at the show, linking that growth to heavy oil and mining activity.

He described a possible nuclear project as more than a source of electricity. It could also create work for Saskatchewan businesses through local and modular procurement in a reactor supply chain.

“That is going to open up a whole new industry of opportunity in the supply chain, in the jobs and careers that are available in Lloydminster, North Battleford, and everywhere in between,” Moe said.

Moe said the broader ambition would be to help Saskatchewan firms build capacity that could serve nuclear projects beyond the province. “This is not just about building nuclear reactors to power Saskatchewan’s future,” he said. “That is a big part of it, but it’s not the only part of it.”

Federal signals cited by Moe

Moe also pointed to recent federal policy changes as a reason for optimism around major energy projects. He cited the removal or rollback of Bill C-69 and Impact Assessment requirements, a capital-cost incentive program, and a proposed “one project, one review, one year” approach to approvals.

“This is language we have not heard from any federal government in over a decade,” Moe said. “We welcome those policy shifts. Those are going to make the opportunity for investment to flow very real.”

The premier tied those federal moves to the prospect of attracting investment as Saskatchewan considers how to meet future power needs.

SaskPower’s role and other options

According to The Epoch Times, Moe said SaskPower would determine what it can operate and what Saskatchewan needs, including whether the province builds one or more nuclear reactors.

The possible western development would sit alongside SaskPower’s examination of nuclear generation in the Estevan area. paNOW reported that Moe said options there could include two small modular reactors or a move toward large-scale units.

For now, the Lloydminster-area concept remains a prospect rather than a scheduled build. But Moe’s remarks put the North Saskatchewan River back into Saskatchewan’s energy planning, with industrial demand and a changing federal policy climate shaping the province’s next decisions.

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