TITLE:
Green Renewable Power and Policy in Canada: A Just Energy Transition to Net-Zero
AUTHORS:
Shirley Thompson
KEYWORDS:
Feed-in-Tariffs, Renewable Energy, Energy Policy, Green Energy, Hydro-Development, Wind Energy
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.10 No.3,
March
3,
2022
ABSTRACT: A just and sustainable future requires green renewable power. Net-zero by
2050 is the international goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius
and sustain the biosphere. Green renewable energy, including wind, solar,
biomass and small hydro is abundant in Canada, with
potential to satisfy demand with 100%
green renewables. This paper compares the renewable power landscape across
Canada’s provinces considering four factors—electricity energy mix, renewable energy
targets (RETs), renewable energy standard offer programs (RESOPs), feed-in
tariff (FITs) or community FITs (comFITs). The provinces with green renewable energy sources typically have enabling
policies of RESOP, RETs and FITS, as Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario and New
Brunswick do. In contrast, provinces with abundant oil and gas or large-scale hydro are
without pro-renewable energy policies, nor community power options, excepting
green renewables in Indigenous communities due to federal funding programs.
Community green renewable power projects, such as the “Indigenous off-diesel initiative”, are creating jobs, community revenue and energy
sovereignty, towards just and inclusive energy in off-grid Indigenous
communities. To reduce climate change, fast-tracking
net-zero electricity by 2035 is recommended with the prioritization of
community renewable energy by RESOPs, FITs and comFITs. For the transportation
and other sectors, banning of all fossil fuels before 2040 is needed. Finally, a long-term
plan to reduce the negative impacts of hydroelectricity water fluctuation is
needed, considering decommissioning some dams.