Canada Is Still Lagging Behind

Canada continues to lag behind our global competitors, including the U.S., Spain, Germany, Italy, France and even India and China in terms of our investment attractiveness for renewable energy (see Ernst & Young Renewable Energy Investment Attractiveness Index in Q3 2006.) These countries invest in low-impact renewable energy because of its multiple environmental, social and economic benefits. They see beyond the fossil fuel era and want to ensure they have a mature and competitive renewable energy industry in place when the inevitable transition to renewable energy comes later this century. [MORE]

Opportunities and Vision

Canada has the expertise and technologies to join many other nations already taking advantage of opportunities to develop and deploy renewable energy.

By 2020, roughly 15% of Canada's electrical generation capacity will be more than 40 years old. 42,000 MW of new electrical generation capacity will be required to replace capacity as older plants are decommissioned and to meet new demand. The need to upgrade our generating capacity and meet new demand offers an opportunity to transition to renewable energy sources.

Renovation of buildings and the new building boom provide an opportunity to incorporate renewable sources of heat and power into our building stock and aim for net zero-energy requirements. Canada's farms, forests and waste products are ideal for producing sustainable renewable fuels.

Pembina’s studies like Renewable is Doable and Mind the Gap show just how great the opportunities are.

A National Renewable Energy Strategy

A National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Strategy should maximize energy efficiency and renewable energy and

• recognize the environmental, economic and social value of renewable energy;
• be a truly national strategy, coordinating federal and provincial targets and actions on renewable energy;
• include international commitments and cooperation to bring about a global transition to renewable energy and clean, secure energy to developing communities;
• be built on a strong foundation of energy efficiency; and
• be comprehensive - including green power (both sides of the meter), green heat, and green transport in industry, businesses, homes, communities and First Nations.

A number of organizations and associations have put forward strategies that provide long-term targets and milestones to monitor Canada's progress in transitioning to a renewable energy future.

Find out more about the RE strategies put forward by the following organizations:

Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance (CanREA)

Pembina is working with its partners in the Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance (CanREA) to monitor Canada's progress in transitioning to a renewable energy future, and to demonstrate how renewable energy can be used by communities and financed through innovative approaches.

Pembina and CanREA believe that consolidating Canada's continued support of a transition to renewable energy requires long-term targets with defined milestones along the way.

CanREA has developed a Model National Renewable Energy Strategy built on the Bonn Policy Recommendations but also recognizing Canada's unique division of responsibilities among federal, provincial, territorial, First Nations and municipal governments. It provides a unified view from civil society of what a renewable energy strategy should contain, which we hope will contribute to a national debate in support of the commitments already made by governments.

CanREA's model strategy contains recommendations for the three main services met by energy — power, heat and transport — supplemented with national strategies for energy efficiency, a sustainable energy financing plan, and international cooperation and assistance.

Clean Air Renewable Energy (CARE) Coalition

In its Vision for a Low-Impact Renewable Energy Future for Canada, the CARE Coalition sets out the goal of having low-impact renewable energy account for a minimum of 7% of Canada's electricity production in 2010, and 15% by 2020.

Canadian Association for Renewable Energies (C.A.R.E)

The Canadian Association for Renewable Energies wants the federal government to set a green heat procurement policy to source 20% of the thermal conditioning load (space heating, space cooling, water heating) in federal buildings by 2012. This would allow facility managers to select the most appropriate technology for the task (e.g., unglazed solar collectors for water heating at national parks) and would recognize that all regions of Canada need to decrease the consumption of fossil fuel sources. Similar polices for green power and fuels are in place. Many credit the federal commitment to purchase green power as a key element in that sector's growth.

National Round Table On Environment And Economy (NRTEE)

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) was established by the Government of Canada in 1988 as an independent agency to advise governments on ways of integrating environmental and economic considerations into their decision-making processes. It is comprised of representatives from business and labour, universities, environmental organizations, Aboriginal communities and municipalities. NRTEE is dedicated to “exploring new opportunities to integrate environmental conservation and economic development, in order to sustain Canada’s prosperity and secure its future”. NRTEE addresses issues pertaining to the advancement of renewable energy in Canada, including climate change and eco-fiscal reform.

Pollution Probe

In its Green Power Vision and Strategy for Canada, Pollution Probe suggests we can obtain 150 terawatt hours of green power from low-impact renewable sources by 2025.