Alberta Residents Back Nuclear Power, Despite Concerns

0:00It's April 23rd. Welcome to Canada News Today, powered by AI. A new report from Alberta's Nuclear Energy Engagement and Advisory Panel dropped this week based on surveys of over 4,000 people last year, and another 1274 last month. Key takeaway, 67% strongly backed nuclear power development in the province, and 81% say it could keep electricity bills. Low, Minister Nathan Noydorf says folks are open to it despite some questions, calling its strong interests but not a done deal. Now the province is drafting a nuclear roadmap for early 2027, laying out rules and regs so industry knows the play. Public meetings, webinars, and chats with indigenous groups in cities highlighted big worries like securing long-term cash for cleanup before any. Build starts echoing oil and gas cleanup messes. Industry agrees on the need, but flags upfront funding as a tough hurdle. Critics push back hard. NDP's Naguan Alganid calls nuclear, the priciest option over gas or solar, always needing

1:05public subsidies. Pembina Institute chimes in, saying it's decades off and costs two to three times more than dropping prices on wind, solar, and batteries. The panel urges emergency plans with partners, worker training programs at schools, and waste talks with feds as Alberta weighs this.