It’s Time to Unlock Canada’s Energy Storage Potential in the Climate Change Fight

Source: Justin Wahid Rangooni · ENERGY STORAGE NEWS · | December 7, 2020

Energy storage's potential and value needs to be allowed to shine for Canada to achieve its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 - and to avoid being left behind in the international race to modernise global energy systems

Source: Pixabay

The recently introduced Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act aims to achieve a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Achieving this goal will require a modernisation of Canada’s electricity system. While the federal government has taken initial steps toward this goal by phasing out coal and encouraging renewables and other zero-emission technologies, it has become clear that energy storage will need to play a much bigger role for the government’s strategy to succeed.

The election of President-elect Joe Biden south of the border gives added urgency to meeting this challenge. Biden’s platform includes “an historic investment in energy efficiency, clean energy, electrical systems and line infrastructure that makes it easier to electrify transportation, and new battery storage and transmission infrastructure that will address bottlenecks and unlock America’s full clean energy potential.” 

Energy storage is mentioned a number of times in Biden’s climate and energy policies, making it clear that it will be a major area of development. Many U.S. jurisdictions are already ahead of Canada in deploying energy storage to improve their energy systems. Canada may soon find itself even further behind.