A nuclear energy renaissance is upon us. The gloomy early 2000s, when anti-nuclear sentiment was on the rise, reactors were prematurely shut down and uranium prices hit historic lows, are seemingly in the rear-view mirror.

According to the World Nuclear Association, there are currently 75 new reactors under construction globally with about 120 more planned in the near term. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported in late 2025 that 37 countries are developing nuclear-power programs.

In Canada, refurbishments of existing large-scale reactors are being completed. The first small modular reactor (SMR) in the G7 is scheduled to come online in 2030 in Ontario with three more planned. Alberta and Saskatchewan are considering adding nuclear power to their energy mix while advanced nuclear reactors are even being pitched to alleviate the persistent energy struggles in Northern Canada.

The industry has argued that regulatory timelines for new nuclear are too burdensome, which is causing stalled projects, cost overruns and curtailment of nuclear’s full potential. These are reasonable concerns because of the enormous front-end capital expenditure, especially for large grid-scale reactors.

Getting the policy and regulatory regime working to enable the building of reactors is critical, but it is only half of the solution.........

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