Support for new nuclear power plants in two of AECL’s active markets, Alberta and New Brunswick, has received a boost, according to recent public opinion polls conducted in September.

Point Lepreau Generating Station

Nearly three-in-four Saint John and surrounding area residents – or 72 per cent - support building a second nuclear power plant at the Point Lepreau Generating Station near Saint John, New Brunswick, according to a Corporate Research Associates poll.

And, in the heart of western Canada and its oil sands belt, more than half of Albertans – 56 per cent – believe that various levels of government should support a proposal by Energy Alberta Corporation (EAC) to build a CANDU^® nuclear reactor in Northern Alberta, according to a Leger Marketing poll conducted for the Calgary Herald.

The Leger Marketing poll also found that nearly two-thirds – or 62 per cent - of Albertans believe that using nuclear energy can help reduce greenhouse gases while 54 per cent consider nuclear power a safe means to produce electricity.

EAC filed an application in late August with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to site a CANDU nuclear power plant on private land adjacent to Lac Cardinal, approximately 30 kilometres west of Peace River, Alberta.

EAC has teamed with AECL to site up to two twin-unit Advanced CANDU Reactors^® (ACR-1000^®), but plans to initially build one twin-unit ACR-1000 that will ultimately produce a total net 2,200 megawatts of electricity with a targeted in-service date of early 2017.

The filing of the License to Prepare Site is the first of many steps in getting approvals to build the plant during a long and rigorous process. Since the announcement, EAC, with technical support from AECL, has conducted information forums in more than nine communities in the Peace River area to help area residents better understand CANDU technology and its benefits, and provide a forum to address questions.

Meanwhile, in New Brunswick, AECL and its partners in Team CANDU™ New Brunswick - Babcock & Wilcox Canada, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada, Hitachi Canada and SNC-Lavalin Nuclear - are conducting a feasibility study for the Government of New Brunswick for the construction of a second CANDU reactor at Point Lepreau, using ACR-1000 technology.

Ken Petrunik, AECL’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said the positive results of the polls are very promising in both jurisdictions.

“Increasingly Canadians are coming to understand the importance of providing clean, safe, reliable energy through the use of nuclear power,” said Ken. “There is a great deal of value in choosing a Canadian technology to meet energy needs. AECL’s CANDU technology is a made-in-Canada solution that is the best choice for these provinces, and others, in terms of safety, proven performance and project delivery.”