Canada Nuclear Power Expansion
Canada is strengthening its energy sector by unlocking its nuclear resources. As a world leader in nuclear energy, Canada is the world’s second largest uranium producer and currently operates 17 commercial nuclear power reactors located in Ontario and New Brunswick. These plants produced approximately 14% of Canada’s electricity in 2023, with most of Canada’s uranium production (90% in 2024) exported.
The nuclear sector, anchored now by the Nuclear Energy Strategy published in June 2026 by the Canadian federal government, aims to build new nuclear plants, assert Canada’s export leadership, secure the uranium fuel cycle, and sustain innovation. While favoring Canadian vendors, the strategy still offers opportunities for U.S. companies in the civil nuclear supply chain, given how integrated the sector is across both countries. Moreover, energy production falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, it will be up to those governments to decide where parts and components are sourced.
As part of the push to sustain innovation, the Canadian government also announced an initial USD $28 million investment for 2026–2027 to assess using microreactors for heat and power at remote and northern defense facilities. In the same announcement, the government committed $1.55 billion over ten years to modernize Chalk River Laboratories into a research facility capable of supporting Canada’s nuclear sector.
As jurisdictional authorities, the provinces and territories play a critical role in strengthening Canada’s nuclear sector, exemplified by major projects in Ontario. On May 8, 2025, Ontario approved construction on four small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Darlington nuclear site, the G7’s first SMR. The unit is expected to be licensed by 2028 and the rest by the mid-2030s to generate 1,200 MW, enough to power approximately 1.2 million homes.
Additionally, the Bruce Power C Project is in its development and regulatory assessment stage to add up to 4,800 MW of capacity to the existing Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, enough to supply electricity to approximately 4.8 million homes. This is intended to meet Ontario’s skyrocketing electricity demand driven by data centers, EVs, and industrial growth. rapidly growing electricity demand driven by electrification, electric vehicle adoption, data centre expansion, advanced manufacturing growth, and industrial reshoring initiatives.
Nuclear initiatives are also progressing across other Canadian jurisdictions. On April 22, 2026, Ontario and Yukon announced a collaboration on deploying SMRs to Yukon’s grid. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan and SaskPower announced plans on January 28, 2026, to evaluate large nuclear technologies alongside their existing SMR projects. SaskPower is aiming to build Saskatchewan’s first SMR build near Estevan by late 2029. In Alberta, Energy Alberta and Bruce Power signed a collaboration agreement on April 16, 2026, building on a Canada-Alberta MoU around a strategy to build a competitive nuclear power site that can serve the Alberta and inter-connected markets by 2050. As of January 26, 2026, New Brunswick Power (NB Power) and ARC Clean Technology Canada have proposed an ARC-100 SMR at the Point Lepreau nuclear site, which is currently undergoing a comprehensive regulatory and environmental reviews. These initiatives provide clear entry points for U.S. companies to collaborate with Canada and align cross-border nuclear supply chains.
Lastly, Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have all signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to develop individual SMR projects in the coming years. The Government of Canada through its new Nuclear Energy Strategy will actively support these nuclear power development initiatives, recognizing them as a crucial in strengthening the sector, enhancing energy security, and cultivating a high-value innovation ecosystem that underpins long-term national prosperity.
We stand ready to support advocacy efforts and export promotion efforts. For further information, please contact: Commercial Specialist Philipp Fortin