Canada’s Clean Energy Transition: A Snapshot
MARCUS OLENIUK/TORONTO STAR
“An energy transition is underway – and will continue to roll out throughout a generation, roughly between now and 2040,” writes the Generation Energy Council of Canada on Canada’s renewable energy transition.
Canada aims to move towards net-zero emissions by 2050. Hydroelectricity, wind, biomass, solar, nuclear, and ocean energy are renewable energies that are Canada’s replacement for fossil fuels. The increase of renewable energy will be controlled across Canada by wind power while the remaining coal and natural gas formations will be nearly erased.
Canada has one of the largest oil industries in the world. The fuels from the oil industries released a lot of toxins into the environment which led to many negative changes in the world. When these toxins are burnt, they create immense amounts of carbon dioxide, also known as greenhouse gas emissions, which, later, traps heat into the atmosphere leading to global warming. This has been done for many years and is ongoing. Canada’s energy system is responsible for more than 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions which are derived from companies and organizations that used greenhouse gas emissions. To lower it, they must replace its energy system with renewable energies, analyses have shown.
Renewable energy is the energy that is obtained from natural processes. These processes are replaced at a measured rate that is equal to or faster than the rate at which they are absorbed. Renewable energy currently provides 18.9 per cent of Canada’s primary energy supply. There are various forms of renewable energy. It is either obtained directly or indirectly from the sun, the heat made deep within the Earth, or through the process of moving water sources.
Canada’s transition to renewable energy has been slower than other countries due to its large reserves of oil and natural gas. Although some private Canadian companies’ transitions are faster than other companies, there is pressure on governments to develop innovative technologies as they move through the transition.
Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions refer to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and withdrawn from the atmosphere. A report from Generation Canada showed that achieving economy-wide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions might be required to structure the global average surface temperatures at a level that will dodge the worst effects of climate change. Electricity will play a significant role in the transformation of net-zero emissions. Throughout the years, models and analysis showed that renewable energy would make an important contribution to achieving the mitigation targets.
Organizations such as the Canadian Solar Industries (CanSIA), the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), and the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) are helping Canada achieve its goal of net-zero emissions. On July 1, 2020, CanSIA, and CanWEA partnered with CanREA to form one voice for wind energy, solar energy, and energy storage in Canada. These technologies are slowly becoming the low-cost solution for Canada’s future electricity and energy needs.
CanREA is working to make a modern energy system through stakeholder aid and public engagement, and to provide clean energy and measurable solutions for Canada’s energy obligations.
Wood or wood waste can be combusted to supply heat for industrial purposes, for space and water heating, or to issue streams for electricity generation. Canada had 70 bioenergy power plants (bioenergy is produced from biomass) at the end of 2014. Their total installed capacity was constructed around the use of wood biomass and ingest pulping liquor along with landfill gas.
Some renewable energies play significant roles in Canada’s electricity and energy generation. One example is wind energy which is among the top three renewable energy sources the country, accounting for 3.5 per cent of electricity generation. Wind and solar photovoltaic energy are the fastest-growing sources of energy in Canada.
Nova Scotia gets around 14 percent of its electricity from wind power, along with Ontario receiving six percent, and British Columbia receiving two percent. The third-largest form of renewable energy is biomass. Biomass is a biological material that comes in solid, liquid, or gas, that has stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy. The most common type of biomass is wood which can either be rounded or wasted from technical activities.
Models calculate a moderately small amount of electricity from biomass linked with carbon capture (BECSC). Wind energy is cheaper to assemble than biomass. Greenhouse gas emissions, on the other hand, can be minimized by biomass in places that are difficult to decarbonize such as transportation and agriculture.
Some people in the fossil fuels industry have been worried about losing their jobs as Canada transitions to renewable energies. However, they may have a job waiting for them. Clean Energy Canada provided Canadians with statistics that could improve the economy in Canada. Canada’s clean energy sector employs 430,500 people. That number is expected to increase to 639,000 by 2030. Along with that, Canada’s fossil fuel sector is expected to see a 9% drop in employment. In raw numbers, the 208,700 new clean energy jobs far exceed the 125,800 losses in the fossil fuels industry.