Canada predicts largest oil province Alberta to lead growth in renewables

Canada Energy Partners

23/03/2021 06:00

By Nia Williams
    CALGARY, Alberta, March 23 (Reuters) - Canada's biggest
oil-producing province Alberta is expected to see the fastest
growth in renewable energy capacity between 2018 and 2023, the
Canada Energy Regulator forecast in a Tuesday report, as new
wind and solar projects help replace coal-fired electricity.
    By 2023, 26% of Alberta's electricity capacity will come
from renewable sources, up from 16% in 2017. The neighbouring
prairie province of Saskatchewan will also see renewable energy
capacity jump to 33% from 25% over the same period.
    Both provinces are in the process of phasing out coal-fired
electricity generation, and replacing it with natural gas, wind
and solar power. Alberta will add nearly 2,000 megawatts of
renewable power capacity between 2017 and 2023, while
Saskatchewan will add 587 megawatts in that time.
    The "Canada's Renewable Power" report says the country's
total installed renewable capacity will hit 71% in 2023, or
106,027 megawatts, up from 67% in 2018. However the rate of
growth will slow from 2.9% per year in 2010-2017, to 1.3% per
year in 2018-2023.
    "When people think about the Prairies, many of them think
about fossil fuels. Interestingly, our projections show they are
actually now leading the way in renewable energy growth, while
national levels will slow in the next three years," said Darren
Christie, CER chief economist.    
    The vast majority of the country's clean power comes from an
extensive network of hydropower dams in British Columbia,
Manitoba and Quebec. Canada generated 426,000 gigawatt hours of
electricity from renewables in 2018, 66.2% of its total power. 
    Among the countries included in Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development, Canada has the eight-largest share
of renewables in its electricity mix, and is targeting net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
    Christie said much of the activity over the last decade had
been driven by Ontario phasing out coal-fired power plants and
building more renewables, and that growth was tapering off.
    "There's a bit of a passing of the baton from Ontario to
Alberta and Saskatchewan," he added.

 (Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
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