Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia are forecasted to lead in renewables capacity growth
Tyler Choi, Sustainable Biz
Wind energy is projected to make up approximately 70 per cent of planned renewable power additions in Canada over the next five years, the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) forecasts.
In the report Renewable Energy in Canada: Current Status and Near-Term Developments, the federal agency says it expects 6,206 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity to enter the nation’s grids by 2030. Solar is next at 2,337 MW and hydroelectricity at 202 MW.
Based on this forecast, renewables would make up almost 73 per cent of Canada’s electricity capacity in 2030, compared to 70.5 per cent in 2025.
Quebec is expected to lead renewable capacity additions in the five-year scenario, followed by Alberta and British Columbia.
“No matter what the political stripe of the government is, the need for more electricity and clean electricity is front and centre,” Evan Pivnick, the clean energy program manager of think tank Clean Energy Canada, said in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada.
If Alberta is interested in powering its planned data centres and industries with affordable electricity, “that is going to mean renewable power,” Pivnick said. However, the province is now standing at the bottom of the list for active renewable energy procurements, he added, citing data from the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. Read more.