Northern Indigenous Peoples & the Prospects for Nuclear Energy
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Northern Indigenous Peoples & The Prospects for Nuclear Energy Submitted by Dr. Ken Coates & Dazawray Landrie-Parker Table of Contents List of Figures................................................................................................................................ 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................ 4 INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES ON NUCLEAR ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SMALL NUCLEAR ALTERNATIVES: A PRELIMINARY INTRODUCTION ................. 5 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 5 NUCLEAR POWER AND INDIGENOUS RESPONSES: A GLOBAL OVERVIEW REVIEW .................................................................................................................................... 6 FINLAND ................................................................................................................................ 7 SWEDEN................................................................................................................................. 9 NORWAY ............................................................................................................................. 10 RUSSIA ................................................................................................................................. 12 GREENLAND ....................................................................................................................... 14 AUSTRALIA......................................................................................................................... 16 THE UNITED STATES ........................................................................................................ 17 CANADA .............................................................................................................................. 18 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUMS ON NUCLEAR ENERGY ........................................ 25 ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................. 26 INITIAL TEST OF NORTHERN AND INDIGENOUS RESPONES: NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN ................................................................................................................ 28 New North Summary of Responses ....................................................................................... 28 Previous Knowledge .............................................................................................................. 28 Renewable Energy ................................................................................................................. 29 Current Energy....................................................................................................................... 29 Small Nuclear ........................................................................................................................ 30 Results ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Background Knowledge on Small Nuclear ........................................................................... 32 Renewable Energy Initiatives ................................................................................................ 33 Current Energy Challenges .................................................................................................... 36 Community Support for Small Nuclear ................................................................................. 39 ENERGY COSTS & CONSUMPTION PATTERNS ............................................................. 44 CANADA’S ENERGY REALITIES ..................................................................................... 44 Energy Demand ..................................................................................................................... 44 Electricity Demand ................................................................................................................ 45 Electricity Prices .................................................................................................................... 45 Electricity Generation Makeup and National Energy Outlook.............................................. 45 ENERGY COST AND CONSUMPTION IN THE FAR NORTH ..................................... 45 ICNGD Northern Nuclear Prospects Page 2 of 59 Background ............................................................................................................................ 45 Consumption .......................................................................................................................... 46 2015 Electricity Prices in other Canadian Jurisdictions ........................................................ 46 YUKON .................................................................................................................................... 47 Cost ........................................................................................................................................ 47 Consumption and Outlook ..................................................................................................... 47 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ............................................................................................ 48 Cost ........................................................................................................................................ 48 Supply .................................................................................................................................... 48 NUNAVUT ............................................................................................................................... 48 Cost ........................................................................................................................................ 48 Supply .................................................................................................................................... 49 ECONOMIC GROWTH FROM INCREASED ENERGY, AND ANALYSIS ................ 49 Small Nuclear Extended Work Plan ......................................................................................... 50 Regions of Interest................................................................................................................... 50 SMALL NUCLEAR THE NORTH: KEY THEMES ............................................................. 51 REFERENCES............................................................................................................................ 52 List of Figures Figure 1: Summary of Previous Knowledge Results. .............................................................. 28 Figure 2: Summary of Renewable Energy Results. ................................................................. 29 Figure 3: 2015 electricity prices in select Canadian jurisdictions with data from Manitoba’s 2015 Hydro’s jurisdictional scan ................................................................... 46 Figure 4: List of Communities ................................................................................................... 50 ICNGD Northern Nuclear Prospects Page 3 of 59 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank the research staff and students at ICNGD who provided us with their time and assistance throughout this project: Heather Hall, Andrew Swift and Petr Baranovsky. We are also deeply thankful to our regional stakeholders and communities across Northern Canada who made time to share their expertise and knowledge with us. INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES ON NUCLEAR ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SMALL NUCLEAR ALTERNATIVES: A PRELIMINARY INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Northern and remote Indigenous communities face formidable infrastructure challenges, ranging from problems with water quality and housing to high costs of energy. In the latter instance, the difficulties involved with delivering fuel are further complicated by the need to maintain and operate the electrical systems under often-difficult conditions. Families devote a much higher than average percentage of their total income to domestic energy use. Furthermore, the prohibitive cost, uncertain supply and often unreliable energy systems makes it difficult to capitalize on emerging technologies that could make substantial contributions to improving the quality of life at the community level. Any proposed implementation of small nuclear plants would, of course, require the support of the local population, which is largely Indigenous in the northern regions. Most government or power utilities are unable to feasibly institute small nuclear power plants without the full understanding and concurrence of the local communities involved. Northern and remote Indigenous communities face formidable infrastructure challenges, including the high costs of energy. Families devote a much higher than average percentage of their total income to domestic energy use. Furthermore, the prohibitive cost, uncertain supply and often unreliable delivery systems make it difficult to capitalize on emerging technologies that could make substantial contributions to improving the quality of life at the community level. With significant improvements in nuclear technologies, the possibility has emerged that "small nuclear" power plants could address the energy needs of remote communities in a cost effective fashion. If, as proponents suggest,