REGINA - Saskatchewan has named the president of a company that is looking at building a nuclear power plant in the province to a panel that is to advise the government on how to develop its uranium and nuclear industry.

Duncan Hawthorne, president of Bruce Power Inc., is one of 12 people who were appointed to the Uranium Development Partnership on Monday by Crown Corporations Minister Ken Cheveldayoff and Enterprise Minister Lyle Stewart.

Bruce Power is currently conducting a feasibility study into building a nuclear power plant in Saskatchewan, the world's largest producer of uranium.

"Many countries, including Canada, are looking to nuclear power as a source of clean, reliable electricity," Stewart said.

"The expansion of the nuclear industry around the world offers an opportunity for Saskatchewan to add value to our raw uranium resources, grow our economy, create new jobs and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions."

Bruce Power operates six Candu reactors at its electricity generating stations about 250 km northwest of Toronto. The Ontario-based nuclear power company is a joint venture of Saskatoon-based uranium giant Cameco Corp. (TSX:CCO) TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) of Calgary and other partners.

Other members named to the partnership include Armand Laferrere, president of Areva Canada, a France-based international nuclear power corporation, Jerry Grandey, president and CEO of Cameco and Alex Pourbaix, president of energy at TransCanada Corp.

Earlier this year, Bruce Power filed an application with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for approval to prepare a site that could generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity from two to four reactors near Peace River, Alta.

In April, the Alberta government appointed an expert panel to prepare a report on nuclear energy. The panel will examine environmental, health and safety issues and compare nuclear energy with other electricity generation technologies. That report is expected to be completed later this year.

A Saskatchewan government release said the new partnership's mandate is to identify and evaluate opportunities for value-added development of the uranium industry and make recommendations in a report that is to be submitted by March 31, 2009.

The partnership's work will not include getting input from the public about uranium or nuclear power. The government pledged it will consult with the public after the final report is released.

"Saskatchewan needs to develop an energy plan for the future, and we will be looking at primarily four sources of energy - nuclear, wind, hydro and clean coal," Cheveldayoff said.

-By John Cotter in Edmonton

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.