NII conference spotlights regional leadership in Canada’s clean energy future
- NII
- Oct 23
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Professionals from across sectors collaborate on the innovation, workforce and policies needed to secure the future
More than 150 leaders from across the nuclear industry, municipal government, education, business and community sectors came together this week for the second-annual Clean Energy Frontier Conference, hosted by the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII).
Over two days (October 21-22) at the NII Advance Technology Campus in Tiverton, participants explored how the region’s clean energy projects are driving economic growth, workforce opportunities and innovation that will help Canada meet its future energy demands.
In his keynote address, Eric Chassard, President and CEO of Bruce Power, spoke about the province’s growing energy needs and the company’s ongoing efforts to meet them:
“We will deliver on Bruce Power’s life-extension program and innovative approaches to increasing power generation output—while focusing on finding efficiencies throughout our operations and keeping workers safe. Yes, it’s hard work, but that’s how you secure the future. So, my question to you is: Are you ready?”
The event featured sessions on workforce trends, youth engagement, isotope ecosystem development and regional growth. Highlights participants heard include:
Nearly 2,700 full-time equivalent jobs in Kincardine and Saugeen Shores could be created or supported annually over the lifetime of the proposed Bruce C project, according to an interim report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
Net support for nuclear energy has almost doubled since 2022—polling insights from Innovative Research Group show that nuclear energy has seen the greatest increase in support of any form of power generation in consideration in Ontario.
Municipalities, energy sector partners, service providers and other regional leaders heard actionable takeaways from a community resiliency study undertaken by the Bruce Power Nexus Research Centre, hosted at NII—key among these was the collaboration that must continue to grow between all of these groups as communities manage sustainable growth.
“At NII, we are collaborative at our core. Today, in this room, we have over 150 professionals from the nuclear industry, elected officials, community leaders, academic and service partners, vendors and entrepreneurs,” said Jessica Linthorne, President and CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Institute. “I cannot think of another sector conference that welcomes this diverse of an audience.”
The Clean Energy Frontier Conference continues to serve as a platform for open dialogue, new ideas and partnerships that strengthen Ontario’s clean energy ecosystem—and NII is grateful for the support of event sponsors. With Bruce Power as this year’s title sponsor, Founding sponsors include: BWXT, Cameco, Candu Energy, E.S. Fox, Kinectrics, Power Workers’ Union, and the Town of Saugeen Shores.
Thank you to Partner-level sponsors: Aecon, ATS Industrial Automation, Boilermakers – Local 128, Canadian Union of Skilled Workers, Cohesive, Framatome, NPX Innovation, Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario, Sargent & Lundy, Teeswater Concrete, Unified Automation and Westinghouse.
And to Collaborator-level sponsors: Grey-Bruce Accelerator, Ironworkers Local 736, The Paisley Inn, STEVCON Packaging & Logistics, Tetra Tech and UBC Local 2222.
