65. 'Taking Small Modular Reactors From Hype To Reality In Ontario' With Robin Manley, OPG

To foster the clean energy transition, the power sector has been seeking out all the carbon-free generation sources possible. Existing nuclear plants have long held a key role in providing clean energy to the grid, but North America has largely stalled when it comes to new nuclear power plants to take on more of the growing power demand patterns, owed to high capital costs, lengthy construction timelines, and more. Looking to take advantage of the carbon-free nature of nuclear power while avoiding those common pitfalls, small modular reactors (SMRs) have become a key area of focus for many industry stakeholders. SMRs are still a future consideration, though, with none yet commercially connected to the grid. That's closer than ever to changing though, as Ontario Power Generation recently made waves in their selection of the SMR model they're going to implement, the GE Hitachi BWRX-300. Ontario Power Generation is making a big leap by being the first mover in this space that has countless eyeballs following it, so podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester were thrilled to welcome Robin Manley, OPG's VP of New Nuclear Development to discuss the selection process and what it means for the utility to pioneer this space. Key Links: Link to episode post on Energy Central with full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-65-taking-small-modular-reactors-hype-reality-ontario-robin-manley Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/