Provinces to produce additional 25,000 MW of green power by 2020
MONCTON, New Brunswick, Canada, August 22, 2007. The provincial governments in Canada have committed to “collectively produce an additional 25,000 MW of renewable energy by 2020 through sources such as hydro, wind, solar and tidal.”
The ten provinces and three northern territories will also “work together to develop strategies to implement a national biofuels and hydrogen distribution system, to ensure that Canadians have access to alternative fuels,” concludes the communique from the Council of the Federation following its annual meeting. All premiers agreed to implement energy conservation strategies and to reduce GHG emissions within their own jurisdictions, according to each province’s and territory’s plan for climate change.
The meeting approved a document, ‘A Shared Vision for Energy in Canada,’ which highlights the importance of energy conservation, supply, demand and infrastructure to Canada’s continued prosperity. The seven strategic elements of the plan include efforts to facilitate development of “renewable, green and cleaner energy sources” and to promote energy efficiency and conservation.
The premiers noted that all provinces “must be able to take a leadership role in creating innovative energy policies for Canada’s future” and called on the federal government to acknowledge the constitutional jurisdiction of the provinces and territories. They directed their environment ministers to complete work with the federal government toward a process for environmental assessment which would eliminate overlap and duplication.
“Canada is blessed with large quantities of diverse sources of energy, including hydro, wind, solar, oceans (tidal and wave), biomass, uranium, oil, natural gas, coal, oil sands-bitumen, and coal bed methane,” the document explains. “We are one of the few countries in the world that is not only energy-rich, but also fully capable of increasing its energy production in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner.”
As domestic energy demand increases, Canada can develop its oil sands, unconventional gas and frontier fossil fuels. “Renewable, biomass and nuclear energy already play an important role in meeting Canadian energy demand ... and provinces and territories could harness additional hydro, wind, ocean (tidal and wave) and other resources to provide critically needed electricity for domestic use and export.”
Hydroelectricity generates 59% of the country’s total power, and a tidal facility has been on stream since 1984. “Electrical generation from the rise and fall of waves is another promising ocean energy technology” and “Canada has some of the best wind resources in the world, due to its large land mass and lengthy coastlines. Provinces and territories currently have over 1,500 MW of installed capacity from wind.”
Technology development is important for renewable fuels “to expand supply and reduce cost in areas such as cellulosic ethanol, tidal energy and solar photovoltaics,” it continues. “While the use of these renewable green and cleaner energy sources is already significant in some jurisdictions and plays a major role in Canada’s energy portfolio, there is a great potential for further development and increased consumer access to these energy sources.”
To meet growing demand for renewables, provinces will “promote greater intergovernmental collaboration for development and implementation of new and expanded renewable, green and cleaner energy sources and technologies; promote the creation of a network of centres of excellence for renewable, green and cleaner energy to encourage Canadian and international experts to participate and share best practices, and to develop partnerships within Canada and globally; and support the establishment and expansion of domestic and international trade opportunities for the development and sale of renewable, green and cleaner energy and related technologies.”
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