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The Peace may become home to nuclear power plant

The Peace may become home to nuclear power plant
http://www.prrecordgazette.com/News/305593.html
By Kristy Lesh
Peace River//Record-Gazette Editor
Tuesday May 08, 2007

An Alberta-based energy company is eyeing Peace River to be home to a nuclear power plant to provide clean, emission-free power for the growing oilsands.
Energy Alberta is looking to either Whitecourt or Peace River to build the $6.2-billion, 2,200-megawatt Candu twin reactor. A delegation from Whitecourt, including the mayor travelled to New Brunswick this past weekend to tour similar facilities. It is anticipated a similar delegation will be chosen from Peace River.
“At this very early stage in the project life-cycle we are looking at a number of communities in North-Central Alberta that meet basic requirements to host a nuclear plant. We have had some preliminary discussions with the towns of Whitecourt and Peace River. Our mandate is to inform, discuss and ultimately have voluntary consent from any community we approach,” says Wayne Henuset, president of Energy Alberta Corporation, in a prepared statement last week.
He said this project would provide the power needed to extract oil from the oilsands.
“I know what insatiable appetite there is for oil. I know that Alberta is taking full advantage of this now and will for many years to come. I also know that it takes a huge amount of power to extract the oil from the oilsands. I know that this power comes at a cost to the environment. I wanted to do something about that. All roads led me to nuclear power.”
Peace River mayor Lorne Mann said the town had only just heard of the interest for a nuclear power project for area.

“Obviously in the days of carbon tax and the demands for carbon-free energy, nuclear energy appears to be on the table again,” he said.
He senses there will be a knee-jerk reaction from the public and the onus is on the company to ensure the public safety and environmental standards and economics of the project.
Mann said he is interested to hear more about the project.
“All I can do is keep an open mind,” he said.
In the Alberta Legislature last Wednesday members of the Official Opposition grilled the Tory government about their stance on nuclear power.
Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft said the government appears to suddenly “have a glow for the nuclear energy.” He questioned security and environmental concerns as well as the government’s expertise on nuclear energy.
Premier Ed Stelmach said it is something the government will further explore.
“... I said that when it comes to the whole question of whether we will pursue nuclear power in this province, we will have the full dialogue with Albertans looking at establishing this process.”
Energy Minister and MLA for Grande Prairie-Smoky Mel Knight said, “... I would not close my eyes to any form of alternate energy in the province of Alberta.”

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