This op-ed by Scott Henuset, President & CEO ofEnergy Alberta originally appeared in the Calgary Herald.

The future of energy is being rewritten - and Alberta has a chance to hold the pen. A global nuclear revolution is underway, and Alberta stands at the brink of this new era.

Last month, the United States announced one of the boldest energy commitments in a generation: a strategic partnership with Westinghouse Electric to build at least $80 billion worth of new nuclear reactors across the country. The plan is ambitious, decisive and forward-looking - everything a modern energy strategy should be.

Why such an urgency? Because America, like Canada, is staring down record electricity demand. The growth of AI, advanced manufacturing, electrification and data centres is reshaping how we live and work - and it’s sending power demand soaring. Alberta saw this pressure firsthand last winter, when a severe cold snap pushed our grid right to the edge.

For the first time in decades, we’re being forced to ask a fundamental question: how do we keep the lights on sustainably and reliably?

The answer is nuclear.

The Canadian Nuclear Association’s new Outlook report paints a clear picture: by 2050, demand for electricity in Canada is projected to double or even triple compared to today. Meeting that growth will require up to 150 gigawatts of new firm generation capacity – more than double our current clean baseload capacity. Even under the most aggressive build scenario, nuclear would supply less than half of what’s required. That’s how large the challenge is -and how great the opportunity.

Alberta has a golden opportunity to tackle this challenge head-on. Energy Alberta’s proposed Peace River Nuclear Power Project could be the catalyst to put Canada’s energy leadership back on the global stage. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create thousands of good jobs, deliver clean, reliable power for industry and communities, and build the foundation for long-term energy independence.

With two to four large reactors providing up to 4,800 MW of capacity, this single project could supply roughly 25% of Alberta’s current electricity needs – a game-changer for our grid. It would also mark the first time Western Canada harnesses nuclear power at scale, expanding Alberta’s world-class energy expertise into a new clean-tech frontier and proving that our province can lead Canada’s next energy revolution.

Unlike intermittent sources, nuclear provides steady, 24/7, emissions-free baseload power - the kind of output that keeps factories running, hospitals open and data centers humming day and night. Modern reactor technology means new plants can be built with rigorous safety standards, improved efficiency and competitive costs.

Nuclear’s high energy density also means it uses far less land to generate electricity than many renewable options. Nuclear energy would complement Alberta’s expanding renewables by providing a constant, carbon-free backbone to the grid. It can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels without sacrificing economic growth or reliability – in fact, it enables both.

We’re seeing this transformation play out across the border and beyond. The U.S. plan to jump-start new reactors is proof that the world’s biggest economies are betting on nuclear - not as an alternative, but as an anchor for their power systems. China, for example, has more reactors under construction than any other country, and nations like the United Kingdom and France have announced major new nuclear programs to meet their climate targets.

If Canada wants to stay competitive on the world stage, we need to move just as boldly. Ottawa has signaled nuclear’s critical role by pledging to triple Canada’s nuclear capacity by 2050. But turning that ambitionin to reality requires action. With Alberta’s skilled workforce, resources and decades of energy expertise, we’re uniquely positioned to lead Canada’s next nuclear era - and do it on our own terms.

The global energy landscape is shifting fast and Alberta’s window to act is open now. We can either choose to lead Canada’s next energy revolution, or watch the opportunity pass us by. The time to decide our energy future isn’t “someday” – it’s now.

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