For the first time in a dozen years or so, Atomic Energy of Canada will see its federal funding fall this year.
According to the federal government’s main spending estimates for 2026-27, released at the end of February, funding for AECL will be just over $1.7 billion, down from $1.94 billion in 2025-26.
The estimates show the funding is split two ways – $1.14 billion for “nuclear decommissioning and radioactive waste management” and $559.6 million for “nuclear laboratories.”
The funding for nuclear laboratories is further split between $207.6 million for “operations” and $352 million for “capital.”
“The mandate of Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL) is to enable nuclear science and technology and manage the government of Canada’s radioactive waste and decommissioning responsibilities,” the estimates document says.
Funding for AECL covers all of the Crown corporation’s operations across Canada, although the Chalk River labs are by far the company’s largest expense, through its contract with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
While it’s the first time in many years that funding for AECL has declined, the numbers are still higher than projections included in the Crown corporation’s most recent five-year plan…
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