The OLIP Interns recently had the chance to meet with John Peevers, Director of Corporate Communications, and Clint Thomas, Manager of Government Relations from Bruce Power, one of our loyal sponsors. Bruce Power is a privately owned energy company that supplies nearly 30% of Ontario’s electricity needs. Moreover, Bruce Power is a leading supplier of medical isotopes, specifically Cobalt-60, which is used to sterilize medical equipment. Much of their current work is focused on the development of Small Modular Reactors, a technology that has the potential to increase the portability of nuclear energy.
John and Clint shared how important government relations are for Bruce Power, explaining how their backgrounds in politics and journalism help them in this role. In addition to working with the Ministry of Energy and other government offices, Bruce Power has a diverse set of community stakeholders. For instance, Bruce Power makes significant efforts to maintain collaborative relations with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation when considering the impact of energy projects. These complex stakeholder relations emphasized the importance of community consultation, a lesson that we will take with us to our work in the offices of MPPs.
Near the end of our conversation, John and Clint elaborated on the public sentiment regarding nuclear power, and the efforts that Bruce Power has made to improve them. While entrenched perspectives are difficult to shake, we learned that innovative ideas – like those of Small Modular Reactors and medical isotopes – and effective communications strategies are powerful tools. Thank you, Bruce Power, for your time and thank you for supporting the OLIP programme!