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Electricity production in Canada
Electricity sector in Canada: what to know
Canadian electricity consumption averages 15 MWh per year. The maximum consumption is in Quebec and the minimum consumption in Nunavut. The industrial sector consumes the most electricity (239 Twh), followed by residential (171 Twh) and commercial (50 Twh). The general demand for electricity increases every year and Canadian production follows. On the other hand, it is noted that large industrialists sometimes have their own power plant in order to better control their electricity needs.
Electricity is mainly produced from the movement of water in Canada. Fossil fuels and then nuclear energy are the other most important sources of electricity production in the country.
Canada exports electricity, but only to the United States. 57.3 Twh of net exports were recorded in 2020. These transfers go through 34 international transmission lines that connect the 2 countries. The flows are generally from the Canadian provinces to the various American states. The Canadian regions affected by these exports are British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba.
The Canadian electricity market
It is structured around generation, transmission from power plants to end markets (high voltage lines) and distribution of energy to end users (low voltage lines). Previously, supplying electricity in the country was the sole responsibility of state-owned companies, following a vertically integrated electricity service scheme. The market has since changed profoundly: production, transmission and distribution are now organized separately.
Regulation is generally done by province in terms of tariffs, type of generation, transmission and distribution. It is carried out by provincial government services and regulatory bodies (except in Alberta and Ontario where the market is deregulated). Production and distribution companies can be private or public, or a combination of the two as in Alberta and Ontario. In some provinces, emphasis has been placed on competitiveness to enable the creation of independent power producers.
The federal government decides certain aspects of nuclear power. The Canada Energy Regulator acts on behalf of the federal government with respect to the export of electricity and interprovincial transmission lines. It also invests in research and development, supports the marketing of new technologies.
Associations have been created for the protection and representation of the interests of the electricity industry, such as the Canadian Electricity Association.
The Canadian Mix for Electricity Generation
In 2019, 60 % of Canada's electricity was produced hydroelectrically, 15 % by nuclear (uranium), 11 % with natural gas, 7 % with charcoal, 5 % from wind, 1 % from biomass and geothermal energy, and finally 1 % shared between oil and solar. Production that year was 632.2 terawatt hours (Twh).
- Hydroelectricity
In 2018, the country is the 3rd largest hydroelectricity producer in the world, after China and Brazil (2018). In 2020, it ranks 4th in the world in terms of the capacity of its hydroelectric facilities. It is also the main mode of production (80 %) in Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador and the Yukon. The geographical and hydrographic conditions are particularly favorable for hydroelectricity.
In other regions, electricity comes from several modes of production: nuclear, hydroelectricity, coal, biomass, coal, oil and/or natural gas. This is the case for New Brunswick, Ontario and the Northwest Territories.
- Fossil fuels
Fossil fuels (oil, coal or natural gas) are the main source of electricity in 3 regions: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Nunavut. In these first 2 regions, the power plants were built near major coal deposits. Until 2014, coal was also an important source of electricity in Ontario.
Among fossil fuels, coal remains the most important source of production in Canada. In Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, electricity is generated using diesel generators. The economic and environmental impact is very high and often provokes reactions.
- Renewable energies
Electricity production from renewable energies was negligible in 2005. In 2019, on the other hand, it contributed to 5 % of total electricity production in Canada. In 2019, 13.2 gigawatts were produced by the wind farm (mainly in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec), and 2.9 gigawatts were produced by the solar farm in Ontario. With the increase in the solar park, the forecast was to increase its capacity to 3.6 gigawatts in 2022. Ongoing policies aim to double – or even more – the production of electricity from renewable energies. The government has also set itself a very ambitious 2035 target of only producing 100 % of its electricity only from sources that do not emit greenhouse gases.
- Nuclear
In 2017, Canada was the 6th largest producer of electricity from nuclear energy in the world. Several groups manage the critical subject of nuclear power in Canada. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is responsible for implementing international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It also assumes federal responsibilities for the use of nuclear energy, materials for the protection of the environment, safety and health. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is the Crown corporation that develops nuclear energy technologies.
THE Canada is also the largest producer of uranium in the world. Today, it comes exclusively from Saskatchewan. Until 2018, it was mostly mined from the McArthur River Key-Lake mine to the north. The global decline in demand indeed began to close that year. Uranium is primarily refined in Ontario. Note that the largest uranium company in Canada is Cameco. Of all the uranium produced in Canada, the country keeps only 15 % for its reactors located in New Brunswick and Ontario. Everything else is exported.
Of Canada's 19 nuclear power plants, 18 are in Ontario and 1 in New Brunswick. The Quebec nuclear plant was closed in 2012.
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