Bruce Power President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Rencheck joined industry leaders and government officials this week in Paris, France, in a groundbreaking event to discuss nuclear’s role in leading a clean energy future.
The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Roadmaps to New Nuclear event takes place Sept. 28-29 with discussions based around how to at least double, and potentially triple, installed nuclear capacity worldwide to meet net zero targets. This is the first time that senior officials and industry executives from NEA countries considering the construction of new nuclear power plants will come together, seeking to create the conditions for success to rebuild leadership in nuclear new builds.
Roadmaps to New Nuclear brought together senior officials and industry executives to pinpoint decisions to deliver new nuclear construction at the scale and pace required to meet climate goals in light of years of inactivity, evolving policy and industrial and regulatory needs.
The invite-only event is a primer for the COP28 event to be held Nov. 28-Dec. 12 in Dubai. The outcomes of this conference will inform the development of actionable policy recommendations for policymakers, nuclear utilities and the industry more broadly.
“For the first time, more than 20 OECD (Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development) NEA countries will convene in Paris, a few weeks before COP28, to send a strong message: Nuclear power is essential to achieve carbon neutrality and fight against global warming, and many countries are ready to commit to it, like France, which is reviving its sector with vigour,” said Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Minister for Energy Transition.
Rencheck was joined in France by CAMECO CEO Tim Gitzel, CNA CEO John Gorman, and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) CEO Ken Hartwick. Bruce Power and OPG will discuss Ontario’s approach to new nuclear as laid out in the province’s Powering Ontario’s Growth plan, as well as the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) Pathways to Decarbonization report.
“Ontario already has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world and our government has committed to nuclear as a key contributor to achieving its net zero goals,” Rencheck said. “There are many aspects to advance, both in the private and public sector and at the government level to make these projects a reality.
“The Roadmaps to New Nuclear event is an opportunity for government and industry leaders to advance international collaboration, foster strategic partnerships, share best practices and learn from each other to help shape the clean energy future that nuclear can provide.”
NEA Director-General William D. Magwood said that reducing global carbon emissions to achieve net zero by 2050 is “one of the greatest challenges and opportunities of our time.”
“NEA analysis shows that advanced nuclear energy, alongside renewables and emerging technologies, provides a realistic and practical path to meet this goal while maintaining energy security and fostering economic expansion.”
About Bruce Power
Bruce Power is an electricity company based in Bruce County, Ontario. We are powered by our people. Our 4,200 employees are the foundation of our accomplishments and are proud of the role they play in safely delivering clean, reliable nuclear power to families and businesses across the province and cancer-fighting medical isotopes around the world. Bruce Power has worked hard to build strong roots in Ontario and is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which we live. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is a Canadian-owned partnership of TC Energy, OMERS, the Power Workers’ Union and The Society of United Professionals. Learn more at www.brucepower.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
