Canada Commits to 10 Reactors by 2040 Under Federal Nuclear Strategy

The federal nuclear strategy document released in 2025 outlines deployment of CANDU and small modular reactors across Ontario, New Brunswick, Alberta and Saskatchewan. It specifies site licensing acceleration and supply chain investments totaling CAD 20 billion through 2035. Provincial utilities including Ontario Power Generation and NB Power are named as lead operators for initial units.

Electricity demand models from the Canada Energy Regulator show AI-optimized hyperscale facilities driving 4.5% annual load growth through 2040, exceeding prior electrification scenarios by 25 TWh. Historical CANDU capacity factors above 88% provide the operational benchmark cited for new builds. No equivalent capacity additions appear in the 2023 or 2024 federal energy outlooks.

SMR designs from GE Hitachi and X-energy receive explicit reference for factory fabrication timelines of 36 months per module. Regulatory amendments to the Nuclear Safety and Control Act shorten environmental assessments from 48 to 24 months. Grid interconnection studies remain outstanding for three of the four candidate provinces.

First concrete pour for an SMR is scheduled for 2028 at the Darlington site with commercial operation targeted for 2032. Failure to meet this milestone will trigger review of the 10-reactor target.