Regulation vs promotion: Small modular nuclear reactors in Canada

Abstract

Canada is planning to construct a set of new and hitherto untested nuclear reactor designs called Small Modular Reactors. The government has incentivised this process by providing tens of millions of dollars to companies developing these designs. In this paper, we describe two problems with the process of regulating these technologies. The first problem is evidence of institutional bias within the federal regulatory body that is tasked with regulating these technologies. Using the case of small modular reactors, this paper details how the regulator's actions do not suggest unbiased decision making. The second problem is the exclusion of small modular nuclear reactors from the Impact Assessment process. As a result, the discussion about whether to construct these reactors will be based on an incomplete understanding of the full environmental consequences of the decision to build. Finally, we offer policy recommendations to address these problems.