Clean Energy Thought Leadership in Action
Helping to strengthen the organizations building our energy future;
Connecting them with the people who count on them.
Joule Communications builds on the history of energy sector thought leadership, policy and strategic communications of its parent company, Querencia Partners Canada Ltd.
Joule also helps organizations with strategy, change management, workshop facilitation, public education and more. We can help your organization meet its goals as we strengthen Canada’s energy sector, together.
Analysis
Fresh Takes
Going far, together: Canada selects a site for nuclear waste
(Posted February 2025)
West Meets East Part 5 – Nuclear Energy and the Trump Administration
(Posted February 2025)
Canada takes a global lead on tripling nuclear
(Posted January 2025)
Strengthening trust in the sustainability of nuclear energy
(Posted January 2025)
Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2024: Brief for Ministers and CEOs
(Posted November 2024)
Integrating Canada-US Energy and Climate Policy
(Posted November 2024)
Quick Links
Below is a selection of reports, articles, podcasts and media appearances providing analysis on Canada’s electricity sector and nuclear technology development and operations.
Podcasts and Media
Media Interviews
Photo: GE Hitachi at OPG Darlington
Capital Power, OPG to assess feasibility of small modular nuclear reactors in Alberta
2023 Federal Budget - Energy
Jason Franson, The Canadian Press
Canada’s Energy Sector Bound for Investment Boom
Podcasts
West Meets East CGAI Podcasts
In West Meets East, Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) CEO Kelly Ogle and Joule Communications’ president Jacquie Hoornweg, a CGAI fellow, talk about the growing inter-connections between Western Canada and Ontario energy policy, including expanding development of nuclear technology to support electrification and decarbonization, on and off the grid.
West Meets East Part 5 – Nuclear Energy and the Trump Administration
Feb. 18, 2025 – Kelly Ogle and Jacquie Hoornweg continue the West Meets East series with a conversation on Canada’s opportunities for global nuclear expansion and the Trump Administration’s approach to nuclear. Interview starts at 13:10
West Meets East Part 4 – Building Out the Grid
Jan. 25, 2024 – Kelly and Jacquie continue the West Meets East series with a conversation on preparing Ontario’s electricity grid for energy transition alongside extreme weather. Interview starts at 12:22
West Meets East Part 3 – Ontario’s Nuclear Expansion
July 20, 2023 – Kelly and Jacquie Hoornweg continue the West Meets East series with a conversation on the announcements surrounding the expansion of nuclear power in Ontario. Interview starts at 10:52
West Meets East Part 2 – The Federal Budget
April 13, 2023 – Kelly Ogle and Jacquie Hoornweg continue the West Meets East series with a discussion of the Canadian Federal Budget and its implications for nuclear energy. Interview starts at 8:46.
West Meets East Part 1 – Shared Energy Obstacles
Dec. 16, 2022 – Kelly Ogle and Jacquie Hoornweg focus on overcoming the challenges facing both Eastern and Western Canada. Interview starts at 13:57.
Industry Case Studies
CSA Group
Strengthening trust in the sustainability of nuclear energy
Perhaps more than any other industry, the nuclear sector’s environmental performance is strongly connected to public trust. Earning that trust requires effective and responsible environmental management, regular, transparent reporting, and public engagement. These objectives are supported by a series of inter-connected CSA Group standards developed and updated over 50 years through collaborative work between the nuclear regulator, utility operators, industry and academic experts, and communities. This case study outlines the standards, their development, and the value they provide to support safe, sustainable, transparent nuclear operations.
Preparing Canada’s nuclear industry for world-class performance
This case study explores how the CSA N299 series of standards are helping Canada’s nuclear supply chain apply a new level of quality assurance specifications. Through collaborative standard development, committee participants are strengthening the industry’s capability to deliver the performance needed to ensure nuclear’s role in the clean energy systems of a net-zero world.
Nuclear Engineering International Magazine
Shining a light on Canada’s nuclear industry contributions in one of the world’s longest running and most highly-read nuclear publications, Jacquie Hoornweg has been a contributing writer to Nuclear Engineering International since 2015.
Going far, together
Canada has built a half-century nuclear energy track record on safe and reliable electricity generation and an isotope supply of lifesaving nuclear medical treatments and diagnostics, used globally. Success on several Ontario refurbishment projects in recent years has buoyed government and investor confidence for up to 16,000 MW of new-build expansion plans between now and the 2040s. Nuclear energy allowed Ontario, the country’s biggest province, to shut down all its coal generation by 2014, making it one of the lowest greenhouse-gas emitting jurisdictions in the world and significantly improving its air quality. (Published February 2025)
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Canada takes a global lead on tripling nuclear
Canada has 13 provinces and territories, each decision makers on their own energy mix; increasingly several are betting on nuclear energy. They are led by Ontario, which made the country a global Tier-1 nuclear nation when it commissioned the first of many reactors in 1971. Most recently, Ontario jumped to the head of the triple-nuclear pack with a 15 January announcement for a 10,000 MW station in Port Hope, Ontario at the Ontario Power Generation-owned Wesleyville site. (Published January 2025)
Photos: Bob Hilscher, Shutterstock.com
Sure and steady to win Canada’s nuclear race
Favourable government nuclear policy and investment, heightened private sector interest, and industry performance are having a positive effect on Canada’s ability to support its climate and economic goals, a new report says. However, the May 2024 release by Canada’s Green Ribbon Panel (GRP) also suggests safe hands need to remain on the tiller to deliver on this promise. (Published July 2024)
Photos: Ontario Power Generation, GE Hitachi
The changing face of Canada’s nuclear industry
In the decade since the global recession and Fukushima slammed the nuclear sector, Canada has made significant advances in its capabilities. But in an era of multiple technologies and burgeoning markets for nuclear, Jacquie Hoornweg considers what defines “Canadian” in today’s nuclear sector. (Published April 2023)
Photo: SNC-Lavalin’s Candu Energy headquarters
From CANDU vision to SMR mission
SNC-Lavalin’s Candu Energy sets course to meet the global triple threat of accessible, secure, net-zero energy, in part, by channeling its CANDU know-how into SMR development, Jacquie Hoornweg reports. (Published July 2022)
Photo: Canadian Nuclear Association
A new dawn for nuclear in Canada’s low-carbon future
The annual Canadian Nuclear Association conference was held from 12-14 April. “Together for Net Zero,” landed on the heels of a federal commitment to radical decarbonisation and a budget that recognised the need for nuclear integration deeper within Canada’s energy strategy. It’s opening the door to a national nuclear opportunity. (Published April 2022)
Photo: Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd
AECL: The company that launched a nuclear nation
As Canada’s federally owned nuclear science and technology organisation turns 70, contributor Jacquie Hoornweg looks at the links between Atomic Energy Canada Limited, Canada’s nuclear history, and the country’s vision for a net-zero future. (Published January 2022)
Photo: Kinetrics
Canada’s nuclear path
The 40th annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference delivered two clear messages: Canada’s nuclear future is now and there is room for everyone. Jacquie Hoornweg reports. (Published July 2021)
Photo: Ontario Power Generation
Small and mighty — Canada’s play for a clean energy future
In 2018, a collective comprised of Canadian government and industry players unveiled Canada’s SMR Roadmap, a vision and related blueprint for development and deployment of small modular reactors. Two years later, the country is picking up speed toward commercial deployment as early as 2028. (Published November 2020)
Photo: Canadian Nuclear Laboratory
Something borrowed, something new
As Canada prepares for major decommissioning projects, the country is experiencing a brain gain – importing the best in expertise and practices – while building a world-class capacity and changing a few paradigms of its own. (Published May 2019)
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The northern neighbours
US supply chain sees opportunities in small modular reactors (SMRs), decommissioning and across its north border as the Canadian nuclear industry heats up. (Published December 2018)
Read more NEI articles, here.
Reports and Briefing Notes
Analysis, white papers, business plans and annual reports
Joule Communications and parent company, Querencia Partners (QP), work with organizations to facilitate development of strategy, business plans and reports. Below is a selection of reports we’ve produced or contributed to in a meaningful way, in partnership with our clients.
Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2024 Brief for Ministers and CEOs
CANDU Owners Group Yearbook
For the CANDU Owners Group, Querencia produced the business plan and annual report to members between 2015 and 2021. In 2021, we adapted the annual report to produce this publicly-available yearbook.
Reports on Small Modular Reactors
Developed for the Clean Energy Ministerial through Natural Resources Canada, New Brunswick Power and Moltex Energy Canada, these booklets explained the development of small modular reactors between 2017 and 2021. Querencia Partners either produced (content writing and design) or was a leading collaborator of their development and execution.
In-house Publications
Timeline of Sustainable Development: Emergence of the Anthropocene
COGnizant
The magazine of the CANDU Owners Group
The stories within COGnizant, a magazine produced for the CANDU Owners Group, capture in real time the engineering and science innovation and continuous improvements of the Canadian nuclear industry. With an emphasis on CANDU technology and the work to advance additional technologies in parallel, COGnizant as a magazine was created, written and designed by Querencia Partners Canada Ltd. (parent company of Joule Communications) from 2016-2021.
Volume 26
Spring/Summer 2021
Volume 25
Spring/Summer 2020
Volume 24
Fall/Winter 2019
Volume 23
Summer 2018
Volume 22, Issue 2
Fall/Winter 2017
Volume 22, Issue 1
Spring 2017
Volume 21, Issue 2
Fall 2016
Volume 21, Issue 1
Spring 2016
UNENE Network Newsletter
Newsletters produced for the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering, whose membership includes universities across Canada and partner institutions, internationally, working collaboratively with industry and government to strengthen innovation.
Volume 2, Issue 2
Summer 2021
Volume 2, Issue 1
Spring 2021
Volume 1, Issue 1
Summer 2020
Read more on the UNENE Network Digital News page here.
Leader Profiles
At its heart, the fuel of energy is people, ideas and leadership. In this series of profiles written for various publications, Jacquie Hoornweg explores the leaders and their approach to both the technical and human side of the nuclear business.
Diane Cameron
Head of the Nuclear Technology Development and Economics Division
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
(Published September 2021)
Dietmar Reiner
Senior Vice President of Nuclear Projects
Ontario Power Generation
(Published July 2018)
Brett Plummer
Vice President of Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer
New Brunswick Power
(Published November 2017)
Cheong-ro Yoon
Executive Vice President of Quality and Safety Division
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power
(Published October 2016)
Joule Communications
A subsidiary of Querencia Partners Canada Ltd.
Contact:
Jacquie Hoornweg
jhoornweg@joulecommunications.com
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