In a press release December 4, leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick David Coon calls on Higgs’ conservative government to set more ambitious targets for renewable energy, rather than the following its current steps to fund a new nuclear reactor in the province.
“The Higgs government is backing the wrong horse, and we are going to end up footing the bill while leaving highly radioactive waste for future generations to contend with”, said Coon.
As of 2019, Canada is 6th in the world for nuclear power generated (NRCAN). 18 of Canada’s active nuclear reactors are located in Ontario, and 1 is located in in New Brunswick’s Point Lepreau (NRCAN). Alberta and Saskatchewan are other provinces looking to build nuclear reactors.
According to Coon back in May 2020, “the Conservative and Liberal governments have always been pro-nuclear. The Green Party is the only dissenting voice advocating for investments in renewable energy projects and transitioning away from nuclear.”
Higgs announced in September 2020 that federal funding for two nuclear reactors had been confirmed.
Researcher with the University of New Brunswick Susan O’Donnell and Gordon Edwards, president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility in Montreal write “The matter is urgent because the two new reactors in New Brunswick will each produce new categories of radioactive waste for which there is as yet no explicit provision.”
Meanwhile, leader of the Green Party David Coon backs more ambitious targets for alternative energy sources.
“New University of Calgary research finds the cost of wind and solar power is now on par with natural gas, which makes it far cheaper than nuclear power, without the attendant security risks posed by nuclear proliferation and the production of radioactive wastes”
-David Coon, Leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick
“A reasonable target would be to double the local supply of renewable electricity by 2030,” said Coon. “Pairing this with a long-term contract for 700 to 1000 MW of hydroelectricity from Labrador and Quebec would substantially increase our supply of affordable electricity while laying the foundation to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
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