X-energy just poached Ontario Power Generation’s SMR execution boss to run global ops. That is a talent grab, and one that should worry OPG’s top brass. OPG loses a top builder during the Darlington SMR build, while X-energy gains a Canadian anchor to push U.S., U.K., and Alberta projects. The squeeze lands on OPG’s bench and on Canadian suppliers now getting pulled into foreign jobs this quarter.
OPG Talent Shock Hits Hard
Popovic was Senior VP for SMR project execution at OPG, leading Darlington’s new BWRX-300 build. That plant targets first power by 2030 and is already digging and assembling on site. OPG will backfill, but timing is tight.
X-energy is hiring him into its Canadian arm, but the work is global and the money is offshore. The first Xe-100s are planned for Dow’s Seadrift site in Texas, where the NRC review window runs up to about 30 months. Energy Northwest, backed by Amazon, is lining up a four unit start near Richland, Washington by the end of the decade. That’s a real pipeline.
The U.K. piece is bigger. Centrica and X-energy signed a joint development deal in September to target up to 6 GW, starting at Hartlepool. Centrica said it will seed early capital with full scale work eyed for 2026. That buys them time and leverage in London.
Here’s the focal point in this tug of war for control. Fuel for early Xe-100s is lining up in Tennessee, not Canada. X-energy’s TRISO-X plant in Oak Ridge is moving through funded phases and has an initial HALEU allocation. Jobs, data, and supplier learning curve sit in the U.S. unless Canada lands a build. Canada is not X-energy’s home market right now.
Ontario picked GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 for Darlington. Saskatchewan followed with the same tech for a fleet plan into the mid 2030s. New Brunswick is backing ARC-100 at Point Lepreau. So X-energy has to win Alberta industrial heat or repower work to plant roots here. That is why they want a Canadian operator at the table.
Alberta Becomes The Proving Ground
The regulatory path is open, but far from done. CNSC said there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the Xe-100 after VDR phases 1 and 2. That lowers risk but does not grant a licence. CNSC can issue or deny site, construction, and operation licences. That power sits in the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, Canada’s nuclear safety law.
Alberta is the live Canadian shot. X-energy and TransAlta are studying an SMR at a repurposed thermal site, with fresh ERA funding. A four pack Xe-100 plant would also throw 565 C steam for industrial use. If that study flips to permits in 2026, suppliers get work here, not just in Tennessee and Washington. Popovic said he is “thrilled to be joining X-energy in this important moment.” Signalling they will build, not just pitch.
What happens next? OPG fills the SMR execution seat fast to hold 2030. X-energy pushes Dow’s NRC clock, locks EPC on Cascade in Washington, and needs one Canadian offtake, likely Alberta, within 12 months to keep Canadian suppliers loyal. NRC reviews can run to late 2027, and CNSC can take filings any time.
