Carney’s Nuclear Detour: Darlington’s SMRs Will Raise Prices, Emissions, & Political Risks - CleanTechnica

The article critiques the Canadian federal government's decision to invest heavily in building four small modular reactors (SMRs) at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site, marking it as a “Major Project” with $3 billion in combined federal and provincial funding. This initiative, championed by Prime Minister Mark Carney, is positioned as a cornerstone of Canada’s clean energy and industrial strategy. However, the article argues that this move represents a strategic misstep, as it shifts Ontario away from its historically successful CANDU nuclear technology—known for reliability, domestic supply chains, and high-skilled jobs—toward an unproven, American-owned GE Hitachi SMR design. This new technology, the BWRX-300, differs significantly from CANDU reactors, requiring enriched uranium and fixed refueling cycles, and depends on U.S. supply chains and regulatory frameworks, introducing technical, economic, and political risks. The article emphasizes that Darlington’s existing nuclear operations already provide stable, well-paying employment for