Submitted Photo The Boundary Dam Reservoir near Estevan is an area SaskPower has been studying as a potential site for a future small modular reactor, which could produce nuclear power for its system. Photo from SaskPower.

As the North Dakota Legislature considers whether to study the feasibility of bringing a nuclear power plant to the state, its neighbors to the north are conducting the research necessary to build a plant, potentially just across the N.D. border.

SaskPower has identified the Boundary Dam and Rafferty Reservoir, both near Estevan, as top site choices.

In response to an inquiry, SaskPower responded with information about the status of its planning.

“SaskPower is in an eight-year planning phase for the development of nuclear power from small modular reactors (SMR), with work continuing to select Canada’s first greenfield nuclear site in more than three decades,” stated a written response provided by Scott McGregor, Media Relations and Issues Management consultant with SaskPower’s Corporate and Regulatory Affairs.

“Our final investment decision to build an SMR is expected in 2029, and to enable that decision, there is much planning work that we must do now. We aim to have our first reactor online in the Estevan area in the mid-2030s,” the statement said.

SaskPower is conducting an investigation of two sites near Estevan, with final site selection expected early this year. A location farther north, known as the Elbow region, in the Kenaston area, remains an option, though, and exploration for other potential sites is to continue.

SaskPower has indicated it needs all energy options on the table to meet future energy needs while working toward a goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

A nuclear plant would need to be near a large lake or reservoir to allow cycling of water for cooling of the power production process. Water is kept separate from the nuclear reaction process and is returned to the reservoir at a warmer temperature, which is monitored to remain within an accepted range, according to SaskPower information.

Utilities Director Jason Sorenson with the City of Minot said the city has had no contact with SaskPower regarding the project. Boundary and Rafferty are on the Souris River, which serves as part of Minot’s water supply and is the target of the community’s flood protection system.

“From a flood protection standpoint, I don’t see any issues,” Sorenson said. “The dams were originally constructed with cooling water for power generation in mind.” The cooling is for an existing coal-powered plant.

“From a drinking water standpoint, the Souris River is currently considered a backup water source for us,” Sorenson said. “However, that will change when NAWS has raw water flowing north. Once we have Lake Sakakawea water, we will disconnect our intake to the Souris River, so I don’t have any concerns regarding water supply, either.”

Minot Mayor Tom Ross, sharing his view rather than that of the city, said his initial concerns in hearing about the construction of a SMR plant just north of the border have faded.

“Nuclear power is a safe, clean source of power,” he said. “I did have concerns over the use of Souris River Water to cool the plant. However, I am certain that SaskPower will follow and abide by all international laws and treaties when it comes to using a water source that flows from Canada through North Dakota. In addition, the City of Minot does not use Souris River water as a source for our residents.”

Looking at the situation has been an opportunity to learn more about SMR and nuclear energy, he said. Going forward, the process in Saskatchewan will be watched closely, he added.

“I know the state Legislature has debated doing a study on nuclear energy in North Dakota. HB1025 has passed the house and now is being reviewed by the Senate,” Ross said.

House Bill 1025 passed the North Dakota House 81-8 after legislators trimmed the funding from $500,000 to $300,000.

Clean Green Saskatchewan, a loosely organized group, has raised concerns about SaskPower’s proposal. Calling nuclear energy too costly and risky, the group states waste heat from a plant at Rafferty Reservoir or optionally at Lake Diefenbaker, which is farther north, would degrade water quality, negatively affecting aquatic life, recreation and irrigation and increasing algae growth. If water shortages occur, plant cooling would take priority over other uses, the organization argues.

“That’s why most power plants like that are on the ocean or on a huge, enormous lake like Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario. Huge water bodies can kind of mitigate that amount of heat,” said David Geary of Saskatoon, a researcher with Clean Green Saskatchewan. “We think that reservoir at Estevan, Boundary Dam, is way too small for it to accommodate a nuclear plant.”

Most of the contamination concerns would be in the vicinity of the plant, Geary said.

“They have to relieve pressure, and those radionuclides get into the steam because of a lot of corrosion going on in the piping,” he said. “Tritium is the real problematic release and we don’t want that going into our drinking water.”

Clean Green Saskatchewan also states the proposed reactor is unproven technology. Geary said it is to be patterned after a model in Ontario for which regulators have dragged out hearings over safety questions. He said other SMR models are failing for various reasons. The main reason is they are so small that economies of scale and associated efficiencies are lost. To become more efficient, they remove safety measures, such as layers of containment, he said.

“Canada’s nuclear industry has an impeccable safety track record, built on more than 70 years of innovation with safety and environmental protection at its core,” according to SaskPower’s statement. “Nuclear plants have many layers of protection and SMRs are an advancement in terms of nuclear power technology. The BWRX-300 (which we selected in 2022 as our preferred technology) offers additional layers of passive safety and protection systems for human safety and the environment.”

In Canada, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is responsible for implementing Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of spent nuclear fuel and waste. Spent fuel would need to be stored in short-term storage at the facility while it cools enough to be transported to the long-term storage facility as developed by the NWMO, according to SaskPower documents.

In compliance with Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission requirements, SaskPower has had extensive and ongoing engagement with communities. According to SaskPower, between September 2022 and May 2024, it exceeded 7,700 engagement interactions through more than 150 in-person and online opportunities, and based on these activities, overall project sentiment is positive and supportive.

“We received input from people across Saskatchewan, including local leaders and people that live, work and play near potential siting areas. We have received input on key topics, including areas of importance, water valuation, priorities around regional siting and local siting to help inform our site selection process,” SaskPower stated.

SaskPower’s summary report of its engagement activities in the Estevan area stated participants provided a wide variety of comments, ranging from enthusiastic about emissions-free nuclear energy to concerns about safety and environmental impacts. In the Estevan area, participants prioritized job generation and economic opportunities, given the federally regulated phase-out of conventional coal by 2030. Comments on siting included a request to prioritize Estevan over Elbow because of its proximity to the United States for selling power across the border.

SaskPower also stressed its engagement with Indigenous communities.

“We recognize that reconciliation through investment, education and relationship building is essential for economic prosperity, which is why we are working with Indigenous partners to determine pathways for Indigenous people to develop the skills they need to participate in upcoming workforce needs,” SaskPower said.