IBEW International Vice President Tom Reid issued the following statement on Minister of Natural Resources, the Hon. Seamus O’Regan’s announcement of Canada’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Action Plan:
“I welcome Minister O’Regan’s important announcement on Canada’s SMR Action Plan. SMRs have the potential to be a source of clean, safe and affordable energy, creating opportunities for a resilient, low-carbon future while supporting good-paying and highly skilled jobs.
“The government’s commitment to investing in clean base load electricity to add to Canada’s existing fleet of various clean energy generating sources is a step in the right direction. The SMR Action Plan and rollout of this technology will require exactly the sort of expertise, skills and training that IBEW members demonstrate on the job every day. The highly skilled members of the IBEW are trained and ready to take on these important clean energy projects.
“The IBEW’s electrical training and apprenticeships are second-to-none, and the jobs created by this SMR action plan will help contribute to training Canada’s next generation of skilled workers in the nuclear industry.
“We stand committed to working alongside the government of Canada and other stakeholders in the nuclear industry as we move forward with this technology to provide clean sources of power for future generations.
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The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers represents approximately 70,000 members in Canada and 775,000 members and retirees in North America who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.