Manitoba, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon and Quebec produce over 90 percent of their power from hydroelectricity. Renewable energy currently provides about 16.9 percent of Canada’s total primary energy supply, the vast majority of which is produced by hydroelectric facilities. Canada generates a significant majority of its electricity from hydroelectric dams. A total of 59 percent of Canada’s electricity comes from hydroelectric. It is the third largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world with Quebec providing half of Canada’s total.
Wind power is growing quickly with Canada. As of 2011 being the 6th largest producer of wind power in the world. Currently 1.6 percent of electricity generation in Canada comes from wind.
Canada, mainly in Ontario, has built a number of photovoltaic power plants with one in Sarnia being the largest in the world at the time of construction (it has since been eclipsed by many others). Ontario has a subsidy system to assist wind and solar power producers.
A 15 megawatt tidal plant is located in Annapolis, Nova Scotia. It uses tides power from the Bay of Fundy.
Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009 (GEGEA), now in force and effect, takes a two-pronged approach to creating a renewable energy economy. The first is to bring more renewable energy sources to the province and the second is the creation of more energy efficiency measures to help conserve energy. The bill also appoints a Renewable Energy Facilitator to provide “one-window” assistance and support to project developers in order to facilitate project approvals. The approvals process for transmission projects are also streamlined and for the first time in Ontario, the bill enacts standards for renewable energy projects. Homeowners now have access to incentives to develop small-scale renewables such as low- or no-interest loans to finance the capital cost of renewable energy generating facilities like solar panels.
There are an increasing array of policies and financial incentives to promote renewable energies at the provincial level.
For more information on Canada’s renewable power potential click here (Pembina Institute).
For a summary of renewable energy incentives by province click here.
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