Alberta has flirted with nuclear power before. Is it now ready to make a move?

While Alberta may be best known for its oil and gas industry, a conference in downtown Edmonton this week is hyping another form of energy: Nuclear.

"The potential is tremendous here," said May Wong, a senior vice-president with power generator Capital Power, which is exploring the possibility of building small modular reactors ( SMRs ) in Alberta.

"We have a moment in time where we can transform our industry and create a new industry."

Smaller in scale and output than a traditional nuclear reactor, SMRs are built in a factory; in theory, they are cheaper, safer and quicker to construct, and can be used in less-populated regions.

Nuclear power already exists in New Brunswick and Ontario , with Ontario relying on nuclear for more than half of its electricity. The province al