Energy Security Blog
Energy Security in a Shifting Landscape: SMRs, the Arctic, and the Future of Resilient Infrastructure
A Strategic Research and Policy Hub from NC-CIPSeR
Canada’s energy future is undergoing rapid transformation — and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) have emerged as a high-priority innovation in this shift. With the potential to provide reliable, low-carbon power to remote, resource-limited, and climate-vulnerable regions — especially across the Arctic — SMRs offer promise, but also demand careful planning, responsible regulation, and robust security assessments.
We recognize SMRs as a critical focal point — but not the only one. This space reflects our broader commitment to exploring the full spectrum of emerging and conventional energy solutions. Whether it’s nuclear, hydro, hydrogen, solar, wind, or hybrid systems, we are driving interdisciplinary research into how all energy systems intersect with critical infrastructure protection, national security, and community resilience.
This is more than a blog — it’s an evolving hub of insight, inquiry, and action. From threat and risk assessments to deployment challenges in the Arctic and beyond, we’re building a foundation for informed decisions, responsible innovation, and strategic preparedness.
We invite policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and citizens to engage with the ideas, data, and decisions shaping the future of energy in Canada — and to help ensure that future is both secure and sustainable.
In this new blog series, the National Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection, Security, and Resilience (NC-CIPSeR) will explore the implications of SMR deployment from a security and risk perspective. The series begins with a foundational overview of SMRs and builds toward more complex questions around cybersecurity, regulatory gaps, and national resilience.
Introducing NC-CIPSeR’s New Blog Series: Securing Canada’s SMR Future
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An introduction to SMRs and why they are becoming a key component in Canada’s energy and infrastructure strategy. Covers deployment potential, business case, and relevance to national security and the Arctic.
Go to: What is an SMR? Canada’s Future in Small Modular Reactors
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As final-stage consultations are underway about a groundbreaking deployment of a Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Ontario, Canada,[1] the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has released a Discussion Paper called “Future Amendments the Nuclear Security Regulations: Granting Peace Officer Powers, Initiating a Complaints Investigation Mechanism, and Transferring of Firearm Ownership to Licensees”[2].
This is an ideal opportunity to consider critical infrastructure protection and the evolving nature of cyber security, using SMR energy as a highly relevant example.
[1] Source CNSC – https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/0968ddc5-710e-4388-b379-184764df6f4c
[2] Source CNSC – https://open.canada.ca/data/en/info/2b91ba73-6b14-45cd-9659-211db5011e35
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This blog explores whether small modular reactors (SMRs) can strengthen Canada’s ability to access and develop critical mineral resources, particularly in remote, energy-poor but resource-rich regions. Using real examples such as the Ring of Fire and Yukon mining operations, it breaks down the true costs, opportunities, and constraints of SMRs compared to diesel, while unpacking the regulatory, financial, and strategic considerations that shape their adoption. Ultimately, the post asks a central question: if the economics increasingly make sense, how do we make SMRs a simple, predictable, and practical choice for Canada’s mining sector?
Is Going Nuclear Good for Critical Resource Extraction? by Erika Fernandez November 2025
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Small modular reactors (SMRs) are often seen as complex, but understanding them becomes much easier when you break them down by what truly defines their behaviour: coolant, moderator, and neutron spectrum. These core design choices determine how an SMR operates, how much energy it produces, what fuels it can use, and—most importantly—where it can be deployed. From the physics of fission to the strategic pairing of materials, each element shapes performance, safety, economics, and real-world applications. This foundational overview gives readers a clear starting point for navigating the emerging SMR landscape and sets the stage for exploring the major SMR families and their deployment opportunities in the next article.
Design to Deployment: Small Modular Reactor’s Fundamentals Explained by Kris Devang Gandhi November 2025
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This post explores the intersection of geopolitics, energy independence, and national defense. Highlights Arctic sovereignty, aging infrastructure, and reducing dependence on cross-border grids and fossil fuels.
Release Date TBD
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A deeper dive into the unique physical and cyber security considerations for SMRs, including smaller footprints, decentralized locations, and long fuel life cycles. Sets up the case for evolving TRA methodologies.
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Does remote monitoring and operations create new cyber vulnerabilities? Compares SMRs to conventional nuclear facilities and addresses the risks of state-sponsored cyber attacks and ransomware threats.
Release Date TBD
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Analyzes Canada’s regulatory environment for nuclear cybersecurity. Focuses on the ambiguity surrounding CSA N290.7 and why clearer guidance is needed for SMRs.
Release Date TBD
Videos
SMR Designs
Questions or Suggestions
Critical Infrastructure is big and bold with a lot of complexities. We welcome your insights, questions, and feedback as we explore the evolving role of Small Modular Reactors in Canada’s critical infrastructure landscape. If you have ideas for future blog topics, questions about SMR security, or would like to contribute to the conversation, please complete the below form. Your perspective helps us shape a more secure, resilient, and informed future.
Questions & Suggestions
We welcome your insights, questions, and feedback as we explore the evolving role of Small Modular Reactors in Canada’s critical infrastructure landscape.
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