A broader base of skilled work
Construction and operations could create opportunities in the trades, engineering, maintenance and technical services. Training and local procurement would help British Columbians participate.
Nuclear energy for British Columbia
Power a stronger BC.
Build dependable electricity. Attract a new generation of industry. Turn seawater into freshwater. A major nuclear build-out could give British Columbia the power to do all three.
See what 20 GW could make possible ↓One vision for the next decade20 GW of nuclear power.
20 GW of nuclear power.
Three lasting benefits.
A single illustrative build-out, with figures shown at full operation.
Our example pairs a 20 GW nuclear fleet with 15 GW of data-centre demand and a 50 MW coastal desalination plant. At an assumed 90% nuclear capacity factor, it leaves additional annual electricity for homes, businesses and other industry.
157.7 TWhAnnual nuclear electricity
US$825 billionIllustrative data-centre investment
300 million litresTheoretical freshwater output per day
The investment figure uses NVIDIA’s US$55 billion/GW benchmark midpoint. These are planning illustrations, not secured projects or forecasts of BC’s GDP.
01 · Electricity for growth
A dependable foundation for BC’s future.
More electricity gives BC more choices: electrifying industry, serving growing communities and developing new businesses. Nuclear generation could complement our hydro system, providing sustained output while hydro helps manage changes in demand.
In this example, the fleet produces 157.68 TWh a year. After computing and desalination, 25.84 TWh remains in the annual energy balance before transmission losses and other requirements.
That is electricity that could support the wider provincial grid. Delivered costs, grid upgrades and backup arrangements would determine the benefit to customers and the potential for exports.
Where the electricity goes
- Data centres
- 131.40 TWh / year
- Desalination
- 0.44 TWh / year
- Remaining annual energy
- 25.84 TWh / year
Annual totals are not a guarantee of round-the-clock surplus. Refuelling, outages, reserves and transmission still require a reliable grid and backup supply.
02 · A new industrial opportunity
Give major investment a reason to come to BC.
15 GW of data-centre infrastructureUS$825 billion
Illustrative total capital spending
US$82.5 billion a year if that spending were spread evenly across a ten-year build-out.
Large computing facilities need electricity, fibre connections, land and skilled workers. A credible nuclear power program could help BC compete for that investment and build a broader ecosystem of construction, electrical trades, engineering and technical services.
At NVIDIA’s published midpoint of US$55 billion per GW, a 15 GW build-out represents US$825 billion in data-centre capital spending. This includes expensive computing equipment, much of which may be imported.
BC’s opportunity would come from the work performed here, electricity sales, operations and local suppliers. Those benefits depend on actual customers, contracts and the share of spending retained in BC.
Capital spending is not the same as GDP or provincial revenue. Nuclear plants, transmission and desalination would require additional investment, excluded from this figure.
03 · Coastal water securityUse a small share of the power
Use a small share of the power
to create a substantial water supply.
A 50 MW desalination plant would use about 0.28% of the fleet’s annual electricity. At an illustrative 4 kWh per cubic metre, continuous operation could produce 300,000 cubic metres of freshwater a day: 300 million litres.
That could provide an additional water source for coastal communities and industrial customers where demand and site conditions justify it. It could also reduce those customers’ reliance on existing freshwater supplies.
Our example uses electricity-driven seawater reverse osmosis. Intake design, treatment, marine protection, brine management and distribution would be part of the project from the outset.
300 millionlitres of freshwater per day
From 50 MW of continuous electrical power.
Theoretical plant output, before downtime and distribution losses. Coastal production does not automatically solve water shortages inland; pumping and pipelines require separate assessment.
What this could mean for British Columbia
Build the power. Build the capability.
More options for homes and industry
Additional generation could support electrification and economic growth. Competitive delivered costs and sound financing would be essential to protecting ratepayers.
Infrastructure with lasting uses
Electricity, grid connections and water infrastructure can serve changing needs over time. Staged development would let BC grow the system as customers and communities are ready.
From ambition to delivery
A ten-year ambition, built in stages.
Open the door to nuclear
Address BC’s Clean Energy Act objective concerning nuclear power, and work with Indigenous nations and potential host communities on the basis for development.
Secure the projects and customers
Select suitable technology and sites. Establish power contracts, financing, grid connections and water demand, with clear responsibility for construction costs and risk.
Complete independent review
Meet CNSC licensing requirements for site preparation, construction and operation, alongside environmental review, waste management and emergency planning.
Deliver and expand responsibly
Bring generation and customers online in stages. Publish costs, reliability, local procurement and water outcomes before committing to each expansion.
Twenty gigawatts within ten years is an ambition for this illustration, not an established construction schedule. Feasibility, licensing, supply chains and financing would determine the pace.
The figures behind this vision
One consistent set of assumptions supports every figure on this page. Energy totals describe a full operating year after the build-out.
Read the assumptions and arithmetic
- Nuclear: 20 GW × 90% capacity factor × 8,760 hours = 157.68 TWh/year.
- Computing: 15 GW of continuous total facility demand, including cooling and support equipment, uses 131.40 TWh/year.
- Water: 50 MW × 8,760 hours = 0.438 TWh/year. At 4 kWh/m³, 50 MW × 1,000 × 24 ÷ 4 = 300,000 m³/day.
- Remaining energy: 157.68 − 131.40 − 0.438 = 25.842 TWh/year before losses, reserves and other demand. This is an annual balance, not firm export capacity.
- Data-centre investment: 15 GW × US$55 billion/GW = US$825 billion, averaging US$82.5 billion/year over ten years. Nuclear construction, transmission, desalination, operating costs and computing-equipment replacements are excluded.
The US$55 billion benchmark is the midpoint of NVIDIA’s US$50–60 billion per GW estimate for its OpenAI build-out. It is not a BC project quotation. No jobs multiplier, GDP multiplier or provincial tax-revenue estimate is applied.
Sources
- NVIDIA, October 2025 investor presentation, slide 14 — data-centre spending benchmark.
- IAEA: Environmental Impact Assessment of Nuclear Desalination — seawater reverse osmosis and environmental considerations.
- BC Clean Energy Act, section 2(o) — provincial energy objective concerning nuclear power.
- CNSC: new reactor facilities FAQ — licensing and schedule factors.
Sources reviewed September 18, 2026. Capacity, utilisation and delivery assumptions are illustrative.