Industry profile: Nuclear energy

Advancing Canada’s nuclear energy sector will play a key role in making the country a clean and conventional energy superpower. With over 70 years of innovation, a world-class regulator, and a robust domestic supply chain, Canada has the expertise to safely expand its domestic fleet and be a global leader.

The growth needed to meet Canada's energy demands will lead to thousands of jobs created in the nuclear sector. According to the Canadian Nuclear Association and the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries, the industry contributes $22 billion annually to the Canadian economy and employs 89,000 people. As Canada’s nuclear sector expands over the coming decades, there will be increased labour demands to support the construction of new facilities and maintain their operations. This includes Canada’s position as a leading supplier of uranium, which is expected to strengthen, with export potential growing significantly as global nuclear deployments accelerate. Canada will also benefit from economic and societal opportunities created by its nuclear energy industry through various spin-off technologies unrelated to power generation.

Canada’s nuclear energy sector features 17 operating reactors (16 in Ontario; 1 in New Brunswick), supplying about 15% of the country’s electricity. Canada has also made significant progress with small modular reactors (SMRs) and is building one of the first operational grid-scale SMR projects among G7 nations.

While the nuclear industry is concentrated mostly in Ontario and New Brunswick, other provinces, such as Saskatchewan and Alberta, are interested in developing their own nuclear power generation, which would make the industry a pan-Canadian opportunity.

Current actions

• The federal government has funded nuclear research and development for over 50 years, and Canada’s nuclear R&D program continues to yield significant social, economic and industrial returns.
• The 2020 SMR Action Plan established the NRCan-led Nuclear Energy Leadership Table to coordinate and advance national nuclear energy priorities with interested governments, Indigenous partners, industry, and others.
• NRCan’s Enabling SMRs Program is providing $29.6 million in support for 15 R&D projects to address SMR waste management and supply chain development. NRCan’s joint Alliance Grant Partnership with NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) supports an additional 15 university-led R&D projects.
• The federal government is developing a nuclear energy strategy that will outline federal objectives for the nuclear sector, as well as commitments that will help ensure that Canada’s nuclear sector contributes directly to economic growth and energy security, while supporting broader priorities to diversify trade, attract investment, and build more, faster.
• The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is advancing a proposed deep geological repository for the long-term management of Canada’s used nuclear fuel under the federal Nuclear Fuel Waste Act. The NWMO estimates the project could create hundreds of skilled jobs over multiple generations, including approximately 200 jobs during pre-construction, 640 jobs during construction, and 700 jobs during operations.
• The federal government also provides significant support for the deployment of nuclear technologies through targeted financing and program funding, as well as helping to set the enabling conditions for new nuclear (e.g., regulatory efficiency, clean economy investment tax credits, etc.).

Economic overview

• Refurbishment projects: Ontario’s planned refurbishments at Darlington, Bruce Power, and Pickering will support over 47,000 jobs directly and indirectly.
• New large-scale nuclear builds: Ontario has announced plans for large-scale nuclear reactors at Bruce Power’s Bruce C site and Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Wesleyville site. The Wesleyville project is expected to contribute $263.9 billion to Canada’s GDP and support 10,500 jobs.
• SMR potential: Ontario’s first SMR, at Darlington, has been referred to Canada’s Major Project Office and is expected to sustain an average of 1,956 jobs per year over its four-year construction period. It’s projected to contribute over $38.5 billion to Canada’s GDP, and support an average of 3,700 jobs per year over the next 65 years. Deployment of SMRs is also being considered at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generation Station in New Brunswick and in the Estevan/Elbow region in Saskatchewan. Capital Power, in collaboration with OPG, is also assessing the feasibility of SMRs in Alberta.
• Nuclear Fuel Cycle: In 2024, uranium mining and milling operations in Saskatchewan contributed approximately $2.6 billion to the national economy and supported more than 3,400 jobs, nearly half held by northern Saskatchewan residents. Downstream processing in Ontario included about another 600 jobs in uranium processing. In total, nuclear fuel activities generated an export value of $4.6 billion. As global demand for clean energy accelerates and new nuclear deployments advance in Canada and abroad, these economic contributions are expected to grow significantly in the years ahead.
• Opportunity for new entrants: Global demand for nuclear skills will require roughly 1.1 million new personnel by 2050. In addition, about 30% of the workforce in Canada’s nuclear industry is expected to retire within the next decade. With new builds planned to begin in the 2030s, there will be significant demand for tradespeople during the construction phase, and additional operators needed when the projects are completed. This will create ample opportunities for Indigenous peoples, youth, and new entrants to the workforce, including those from other sectors.

Nuclear career and skills examples

Anticipated workforce opportunities

• 
  Up to
  $150 billion
  global SMR export market (2030-2040)
  ^{Footnote 1}

• 
  30%
  higher median wages in nuclear compared to other energy technologies
  ^{Footnote 2}

• 
  6,000
  new jobs per year between 2030 and 2040 (direct and indirect)
  ^{Footnote 3}

• 
  Mining salaries:
  1.9 times
  salaries of other workers on average (Saskatchewan data)
  ^{Footnote 4}

Additional information and resources

Career Resources

• Government of Canada Job Bank
• Career Opportunities – Canadian Nuclear Association
• Careers at CNSC – Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
• Nuclear Jobs Canada

Other Resources

• Canada’s SMR Action Plan
• Canada’s SMR Action Plan Progress Update
• Canada’s SMR Roadmap
• Nuclear Energy & Uranium – Natural Resources Canada
• Canadian Nuclear Association
• Organisation of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI)
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC)