Renewable energy in Canada represented 17.3% of the Total Energy Supply (TES) in 2020, following natural gas at 39.1% and oil at 32.7% of the TES.
In 2020, Canada produced 435 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity from renewable sources, representing 68% of its total electricity generation. Hydroelectric power was the primary source, accounting for 60% of the electricity mix. Over the last decade, wind and solar power generation in Canada saw considerable growth. Wind energy increased fourfold to 36 TWh, representing 5.6% of 2020's total electricity generation. Solar PV output grew from 0.3 TWh in 2010 to 4.3 TWh in 2020, accounting for 0.7%. Bioenergy, mainly from solid biomass, rose by 11%, making up 1.6% of the 2020 generation. As of 2021, Canada ranks as the fourth-largest producer of hydropower in the world by capacity.
From 2010 to 2017, the Environmental and Clean Technology (ECT) sector's growth rate outpaced Canada's overall economy by one-third. According to Simon Fraser University's Clean Energy Canada program, by June 2020, the sector employed 430,500 workers across Canada.
Overview According to a 2017 Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) document, renewable energy refers to energy sources that are replenished naturally and at a rate that is equal to or faster than the rate at which they are utilized. A variety of techniques and equipment in the environmental and clean technologies (ECT) sector have been developed and used to harness renewable resources for energy production. +Total renewable energy capacity, 2014-2024 (MW)2014201520162017201820192020202120222023202489,77395,97397,88199,131100,743101,328101,812103,808106,359108,826110,470 The Daily reported in 2017, that the strong sales in renewable energy technologies and equipment reflected transitions made by Canada's towards a low-carbon economy. Companies engaged in these power generating projects including wind, solar, and hydro, reported revenues of $1.3 billion which represented 38% of total ECT sales.
In June 2021, the federal government invested $964-million program in ECT in the form of "wind, solar, storage, hydro, geothermal, tidal" and other renewable energy projects to lower emissions.
Politicians have expressed interest in increasing the percentage of Canada's electricity generated by renewable methods. Ontario has created a subsidy to assist wind and solar power producers.
All environmental and clean technology (ECT) activities accounted for 3.1% or $59.3 billion of the Canadian gross domestic product in 2016, edging up from 3.0% in 2007.
As of 2024, approximately 79% of Canada's electricity generation came from low-carbon sources, including hydroelectricity, wind, solar, and nuclear. Hydroelectric power remained the dominant source, accounting for roughly 55% of electricity generation, while wind and solar together contributed about 8.5%.
Canada has set a goal of achieving a net-zero electricity by 2035 as part of its broader strategy to reach economy-wide net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050.
Environmental and clean technology sector The environmental and clean technology (ECT) sector includes goods and services that reduce environmental impact, such as such as renewable energy, clean electricity from wind, solar energy, and other renewable sources, power generation from nuclear sources, biofuels, waste management, and remediation services. Examples include designing and building structures that are energy-efficient and manufacturing solar panels, and Quebec's "municipal waste-to-energy industry".
In 2019, the value of the Canadian environmental and clean technology products sector was $70.5 billion, compared to $59.3 billion in 2016, representing 3% of the Canadian GDP. From 2010 to 2017, the sector experienced a growth rate that was one-third higher than the rest of the country's economy. The environmental and clean technology (ECT) products sector saw a 3.5% increase in GDP from 2018 to 2019.
All environmental and clean technology (ECT) activities accounted for 3.1% or $59.3 billion of the Canadian gross domestic product in 2016, edging up from 3.0% in 2007.
Simon Fraser University's Clean Energy Canada program reported that there were 430,500 ECT sector jobs in Canada in 2020.
In 2019, there were 339,000 ECT jobs in Canada, representing 1.7% of all jobs. Sixty percent of ECT workers had at least a high school education, about 25% had a college degree and about 20% had a university degree. Over 90% of jobs in the sector were full-time.
In Canada and the United States, clean energy workers tend to earn higher wages than the national median. In 2019, in Canada, males in administrative and regulatory positions in the ECT sector earned an annual salary of $93,294 on average; while women earned less$64,363. The average annual wage in Canada was $63,490 in 2019, while in the ECT sector it was $$77,144.
Sources Hydroelectricity
In 2014, Canada had 542 hydroelectric stations with an installed capacity of 78,359 megawatts. Hydroelectricity has developed in Canada where geography and hydrography have permitted, particularly in Quebec which generates half of the hydroelectric power produced in Canada. Yet environmental and social issues will persist if sustainable hydro-power projects are not planned carefully. Some examples of this include stagnation of water, fish migration issues, uprooting of communities, habitat loss and possible extinction of species. Between 2005 and 2019 hydroelectricity continued to dominate the growth of renewables in Canada with 40,000 GWh of new production compared to wind and solar combined with 30,000 GWh of new production.http://www.hydropower.org/publications/2020-hydropower-status-report pg20
Canada has 81 gigawatts (GW) of installed hydroelectric capacity, that produced 400 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2019.http://www.hydropower.org/publications/2020-hydropower-status-report pg45 Manitoba, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon and Quebec produce over 90% of their power from hydroelectricity. +Hydropower capacity 2014–2024 (MW)2014201520162017201820192020202120222023202475,47479,40580,30480,83181,57081,57081,38382,30783,31283,31283,455 In recent years, Canada has embarked on the commissioning of several significant hydroelectric projects, which are expected to be operational by 2024. Notable among these are the Site C project in British Columbia with a capacity of 1,100 megawatts (MW), the Muskrat Falls project in Labrador (824 MW), the Keeyask project in Manitoba (695 MW), and the La Romaine 4 project in Quebec (245 MW). In addition to these large-scale projects, progress is also being made on a number of smaller hydro initiatives.
Solar power
Solar photovoltaic (PV) contributes only 0.51% of Canada's total renewable energy output, though this number is growing as the total installed solar capacity reached 2662 megawatts in 2016. Solar PV potential varies across Canada, with the highest insolation in the southernmost portion of the prairies and the lowest in the north and coastal regions. The benefits of using solar energy include the absence of harmful emissions and the long equipment lifespan (about 25 years). The drawbacks to using solar energy are the high environmental footprint required in areas of lower insolation leading to habitat degradation and the inability to store energy for extended periods of time. The reliance on sunlight to generate electricity is difficult in northern areas due to shorter daytime hours and cloud cover in the winter. The levelized cost for using solar energy is currently approximately 23 cents per kWh.
Southern Canada has plentiful solar energy resources, with the most extensive resources being found in southern Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario.
With 1210 megawatt peak (MWp) of installed photovoltaics in 2013, Canada ranked 15th in the world. Ontario has a program of moving away from coal and promoting renewable resources which has led to many industrial-scale photo-voltaic plants being built. Located in Sarnia, Ontario, the 97 megawatt Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant can power more than 12,000 homes, and in October 2010 was the largest solar farm in the world. Other plants include the 23.4 MW Arnprior Solar Generating Station and a 68 MW solar farm in Sault Ste. Marie.
Until 2009, the main applications of solar energy technologies in Canada were for solar thermal system applications for space heating, water heating and drying crops and lumber. In 2001, there were more than 12,000 residential solar water heating systems and 300 commercial / industrial solar hot water systems in use. These systems presently comprise a small fraction of Canada's energy use. +Solar energy capacity 2014–2024 (MW)201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242,1082,8773,0583,4193,7194,0074,3795,2615,4395,8846,105Canada has many regions that are sparsely populated and difficult to reach. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are increasingly used as standalone units, mostly as off-grid distributed electricity generation to power remote homes, telecommunications equipment, oil, and pipeline monitoring stations and navigational devices. The Canadian PV market has grown, and Canadian companies make solar modules, controls, specialised water pumps, high-efficiency refrigerators and solar lighting systems.
One of the most important uses for PV cells is in northern communities, many of which depend on high-cost diesel fuel to generate electricity. Since the 1970s, the federal government and industry have encouraged the development of solar technologies for these communities. Some of these efforts have focused on the use of hybrid systems that provide power 24 hours a day, using solar power when sunlight is available, in combination with another energy source.
The National Energy Board of Canada expects that by 2040, solar power will generate 1.2% of the country's electricity while wind will provide 9.5%.
Agrivoltaics in Canada Agrivoltaics is gaining attention in Canada as a promising way to combine solar energy production with agriculture. This method allows solar panels to be installed on farmland without stopping crop growth or livestock grazing. It offers a solution to land use conflicts by making dual use of the same space.
Recent research has shown that installing solar panels on just 1% of Canada's agricultural land could generate between a quarter and over a third of the country’s total electricity needs. Provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario have especially high potential due to their large farmland areas and good sunlight levels. Agrivoltaics also supports Canada's goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase renewable energy use. Additionally, since Canada's potential for agrivoltaic electricity exceeds the country's electricity demand, Canada could export green electricity to the United States in the future.
Wind power
Wind power represents 4.6% of Canada's total renewable energy capacity, with many optimal locations for wind energy across Canada and an installed wind capacity of 12,239 MW. Wind power generation does not generate GHG emissions and has no fuel cost. In remote Canadian communities projects with wind-diesel hybrid systems have shown limited success over the past 25 years. This is mostly due to the expensive installation, maintenance, and transportation logistics required when providing power to remote sites. Ideal locations for turbines are based on wind speeds at locations which may or may not be near a local power line. In the latter case, transmission lines are necessary to tie into the local power grid, increasing the total cost. The levelized cost for wind energy is approximately 13 cents per kWh +Wind energy capacity 2014–2024 (MW)201420152016201720182019202020212022202320249,69411,21411,97312,25012,81613,22013,53213,72215,08116,98918,376