Ontario Power Generation signage is seen at a facility at the Darlington Power Complex, in Bowmanville, Ont., on May 31, 2019.Cole Burston/The Canadian Press
Canada is a country built on natural resources – oil, trees, fish – but one such advantage has long been taken for granted: an abundance of clean power.
Unlike the United States and many other countries, Canada has a mostly clean power grid, led by hydro and nuclear. It has been clear for several years that the future of the economy, and slashing emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, would be built on a lot more clean power. Yet provinces had been hesitant to make any big moves.
The future demands something different. Power grids need to expand more quickly than in the past, to electrify sectors such as transport and home heating, as well as supporting a growing population. But rather than one hulking new dam or nuclear plant, the approach has to be about doing a bunch of things in tandem. It’s an all-of-the-above strategy, from solar, wind and ample battery storage to small nuclear reactors and some natural gas with carbon capture – and a network of interprovincial power lines to connect it all.
The key change in recent months is provinces’ willingness to be bold. In November, Hydro-Québec outlined a $100-billion plan to expand its grid over the next decade or so. And it’s not centred on replicating past successes. It includes a tripling of wind power and a greater openness to private-sector power production.
In December, to complement its investments in nuclear, Ontario unveiled a big bet on renewable power. Like Quebec, Ontario cited an abundance of clean power as a key pillar for economic growth.
British Columbia last week was the latest to make a move. Like Quebec and Ontario, B.C.’s power grid is already mostly clean, but there are challenges. B.C. imports more power than it ever has because of drought. The province, predicting a surge in power demand of at least 15 per cent by the end of the decade, announced a 50-per-cent increase in planned spending at BC Hydro over the next decade. BC Hydro is also seeking new private-sector power for the first time in 15 years.
In neighbouring Alberta, the challenges are big but the payoff could be bigger. The province this month went through a brutal deep freeze that almost forced rolling blackouts. But the experience revealed important lessons: A small amount of battery storage proved to be a large help and a plea to reduce peak demand with a provincewide alert resulted in significant power savings. Storage and better demand management are core components of any strategy in the years ahead.
During those freezing days, it also helped that Alberta was able to draw some power from B.C. and Saskatchewan.
This underlines an all-of-the-above strategy. Alberta had a booming solar and wind business, before the province halted approvals last summer. There is a role for natural gas but solar and wind, complemented by vast battery storage, promise lower costs for consumers. And companies such as Edmonton’s Capital Power are staking out new ground. Last week it agreed to work with Ontario Power Generation to bring nuclear power to Alberta.
Then look to what are called interties, the transmission lines that connect provinces. They exist – but capacity should be far greater. This space has said it before but it bears repeating: Provinces send more power south than to each other. The hydro reservoirs of B.C. and Manitoba should serve as giant batteries for the entire Prairies. A 2022 piece in the Osgoode Hall Law Journal made the case for Ottawa to use its constitutional power to lead on national transmission infrastructure and argued that the absence of such lines is a “deterrent to private investment in renewable energy projects.”
Stitching together national policies that appreciate regional nuances is tricky. The federal Liberals have proposed clean electricity regulations, to cut most emissions from the power grid by 2035. The initial draft rules had some flexibility but, as this space and others have argued, more is necessary. Affordability and reliability must be paramount goals. At the same time, provinces like Alberta need to speed, not hinder, clean power, as Ottawa allows for some natural gas in the years ahead, with several large new plants set to open in Alberta. And don’t forget Ottawa’s smart subsidies for clean power development. A separate federal investment of about $1-billion in 2022 is what kick-started Ontario’s nuclear revival.
Global renewable energy is predicted to more than double this decade. Canada is already a leader. The country needs to power up on its natural advantages.