Engagement in Action: Connecting with Peace Region Communities
March 2, 2026
Engagement has been a cornerstone of the proposed Peace River Nuclear Power Project from the very beginning.
Between January 2024 and February 2026, Energy Alberta broadened and deepened its engagement and communications efforts for the proposed Project. These activities reflect a strong commitment to open, transparent and ongoing dialogue with local governments, stakeholders and the public.
Below is a snapshot of how Energy Alberta has been engaging - and how that work will continue.
Public and Stakeholder Engagement
Working with Local Governments
Engagement with local governments is a key part of Energy Alberta’s approach to understanding community priorities, infrastructure capacity and local services that support both construction and long-term operations of the Project. These conversations also help build strong, long-term partnerships across the Peace Region.
Since early 2024, Energy Alberta has engaged with 18 local governments, through council delegations, staff-level meetings and ongoing project updates. These discussions have focused on anticipated timelines, the Impact Assessment process and opportunities for collaboration.
In September 2025, Energy Alberta hosted an in-person siting workshop with representatives from multiple local governments, alongside interest groups and economic organizations. The workshop shared information on early site analysis and the two potential siting options, and gathered local feedback to help inform the selection of a preferred site.
Since 2024, Energy Alberta has participated in regular meetings with the Peace Regional Energy Committee (PREC) to provide Project updates, discuss site selection, engagement plans, regulatory processes, nuclear safety, waste management and next steps. This collaboration has also included joint participation in conference panels and technical discussions, helping ensure regional perspectives are reflected in broader industry conversations.
Engaging Businesses, Chambers of Commerce and Industry Associations
We are working to ensure local businesses are well positioned to benefit from the economic opportunities associated with the Project. Engagement with Chambers of Commerce has focused on practical, business-readiness conversations, including how companies can prepare for nuclear-related work.
Since 2024, Energy Alberta has taken the following actions:
Met directly with Chambers of Commerce and economic development groups across the Peace Region to introduce the Project and explain anticipated timelines.
Presented to Chamber members on expected procurement needs, qualification requirements and industry standards for nuclear projects.
Hosted and participated in business-focused workshops and open houses to discuss construction and operations-phase opportunities, workforce needs and training pathways.
Gathered input from local businesses on capacity, labour availability and readiness, helping inform business capacity assessments for the Impact Statement.
Worked with Chambers of Commerce to improve information flow between the Project team and local businesses, ensuring questions and concerns are addressed early.
Met with industry and business associations to share Project information, learn from best practices and stay informed on developments in the energy and nuclear sectors. This includes participation in regional and national events such as the Small Modular Reactor Canada Summit, Independent Power Producer Society of Alberta Conference and Canadian Nuclear Association conferences.
Engaging Environmental and Community Organizations
Energy Alberta is engaging with local environmental and community organizations to help inform Project planning and the Impact Statement. These groups provide valuable local knowledge that supports baseline data collection and helps identify environmental, recreational and tourism-related considerations.
To date, Energy Alberta has held introductory meetings with organizations such as the Mighty Peace Watershed Alliance and the Peace River Area Monitoring Program.
As the Project moves forward, Energy Alberta will continue to engage with environmental organizations, recreational groups and tourism associations to gather input, share information about potential impacts and help develop appropriate mitigation measures.
Engaging Residents and Landowners
Energy Alberta has been engaging directly with residents and landowners near the potential siting areas since spring 2024. This outreach focuses on sharing timely information, answering questions and ensuring those closest to the Project have clear ways to connect with the Project team.
Engagement has included in-person visits, phone calls, mailed updates and invitations to public open houses.
Residents and landowners have received Project updates at key milestones, advance notice of fieldwork activities and information on how to access Project documents and provide feedback.
Engaging the General Public
Energy Alberta focuses on providing clear information and practical ways for the public to ask questions, share feedback and stay informed about the Project. Engagement activities are designed to meet people where they are and offer multiple ways to participate.
Key actions to date include:
Hosting a large public open house to share Project information and answer questions directly with subject-matter experts.
Running multi-community engagement sessions across the Peace Region that include topic stations on nuclear safety, environmental effects, jobs and training, procurement, community impacts and siting, along with facilitated small-group Q&A sessions where participants can speak directly with technical experts.
Publishing “what we heard” summaries after major engagement events to show how public input is being captured and considered.
Participating in job fairs and community events, offering informal opportunities to discuss employment pathways and Project details.
Maintaining direct access email and phone lines so residents can ask questions or request meetings at any time.
Offering online engagement tools and plain-language resources for those who prefer to participate remotely or on their own schedule.
What We’ve Heard So Far
Through engagement activities, Energy Alberta has heard a wide range of interests, questions and concerns related to the Project. These inputs reflect a strong desire for clarity, transparency and careful consideration of long-term impacts.
Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Community members want a clear understanding of accident and malfunction scenarios, emergency response planning, evacuation procedures and long-term recovery.
Environmental Protection: Strong interest has been expressed in how the Project could potentially affect air quality, water use, wildlife, fish habitat, wetlands and species at risk. People want assurance that baseline environmental data is locally relevant, publicly available and used to guide decisions.
Water and the Peace River: Water use is a key focus, including cooling systems, river flows, drought scenarios, thermal effects, aquifers and downstream risks.
Indigenous Rights, Knowledge, and Land Use: Indigenous Nations and Communities have raised important topics related to consultation, consent, protection of culturally significant sites, traditional land and resource use, food systems and long-term stewardship.
Community Well-Being and Infrastructure: Concerns include housing availability and affordability, pressure on healthcare, schools, emergency services and social supports, as well as the potential for boom-and-bust economic cycles.
Economic Opportunities and Costs: Participants have asked about project economics, local employment, training pathways, youth opportunities, Indigenous and regional business participation and procurement processes.
Project Need, Technology, and Siting: There is interest in understanding Alberta’s future electricity needs, baseload power requirements, technology selection and the rationale for siting in the Peace River region.
Transparency and Ongoing Engagement: Across all topics, there is a consistent request for plain-language information, publicly available data, ongoing face-to-face engagement and clear explanations of how feedback influences decisions.
These topics will continue to inform ongoing engagement, technical studies and Project planning as the Project moves forward.
Ongoing Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder engagement will continue with a focus on regular dialogue, clear information sharing and practical ways for feedback to inform Project planning.
Planned activities include:
Regular updates and issue tracking through standing meetings with local governments and environmental and community organizations, ensuring emerging concerns are identified early and followed up on.
Community pop-ups, open houses and information sessions that provide direct opportunities to ask questions, clarify Project details and gather local input at key milestones.
Topic-specific workshops with key groups that allow participants to engage with technical experts, share perspectives and contribute directly to planning considerations.
Working groups that bring together local leaders to help identify potential pressures on housing, services and infrastructure and to inform mitigation strategies in the socio-economic assessment.
Continued presence at community events, creating informal, accessible opportunities for conversation and feedback.
Communications: Keeping People Informed and Connected
Since the start of the Project, Energy Alberta has taken a multi-channel approach to communications, focused on providing clear, timely and accessible information about the Project. Communications efforts through early 2026 - and looking ahead - are guided by a commitment to transparency, accountability and responsiveness.
Website: A Central Source of Information
EnergyAlberta.com serves as the main hub for Project information, including updates, key documents, fact sheets, engagement opportunities and contact details.
Since launching in late 2024, the website has welcomed more than 10,000 visitors and is regularly updated to reflect the latest Project status.
The site includes:
Project overviews, regulatory information and benefits.
Engagement, Indigenous relations, environmental and safety content.
News, resources and event information.
Procurement and jobs registries.
Sign-up for the Project e-newsletter.
Two-Way Communication Channels
To make it easy for people to ask questions or request information, we established a dedicated Project email address and a toll-free phone line.
Between January 2025 and February 2026, nearly 90 inquiries were received and responded to through these channels, supporting direct, two-way communication with the public and stakeholders.
Media Relations
Energy Alberta maintains an active media relations program to support accurate and timely reporting on the Project. This includes issuing news releases, responding to media inquiries and making senior leaders and technical experts available for interviews.
Since 2024, Energy Alberta handled dozens of media requests, participated in interviews with regional and national outlets, and engaged with local radio and print media during in-person engagement events in the Peace Region.
Social Media Outreach
Energy Alberta uses social media to share updates, promote engagement opportunities and participate in broader conversations about energy and nuclear development.
Facebook has focused on community awareness and dialogue.
LinkedIn has supported engagement with business, government and industry audiences across Canada.
X has been used to share timely updates and reinforce key Project messages.
Across platforms, Energy Alberta has maintained a consistent posting schedule and seen steady growth in followers and engagement.
E-Newsletter: The Power Source
In 2025, Energy Alberta launched The Power Source, an e-newsletter designed to deliver Project updates, milestones, and engagement opportunities directly to subscribers.
Six editions were distributed in 2025, with more than 1,000 subscribers signed up through the website and in-person engagement events. Past issues are also available online for easy access.
Looking Ahead
Engagement is not a one-time step - it is a core part of how the Project is being developed. The goal is to build long-term relationships based on trust, respect and shared understanding, while ensuring people have meaningful opportunities to learn about the Project and share what matters to them.
Curious about the Project? We want to hear from you:
