The Big Switch

Source: · CANADIAN CLIMATE INSTITUTE · | May 9, 2022

Source: Canadian Climate Institute

Clean electricity will power Canada's net zero transition.

Reaching Canada's climate targets requires a big switch from fossil fuel energy to clean electricity. This switch involves producing more clean electricity in every region, phasing out emitting sources, and using clean electricity to power more and more of the economy. It will underpin Canada's climate progress and power Canada's future prosperity.

But getting there will require governments at all orders to leverage their policy tools—ideally in a coordinated way.

POWERING THE SWITCH: BIGGER, CLEANER, AND SMARTER ELECTRICITY SYSTEMS

This section summarizes the findings of our technical pathways report Bigger, Cleaner, Smarter, describing the changes needed in Canada’s electricity systems to align them with net zero.

MAKING ELECTRICITY SYSTEMS BIGGER

Making electricity systems bigger means growing them to meet the increased demand from widespread electrification. Specifically, studies show that in a net zero future, Canadian electricity demand will grow to be 1.6 to 2.1 times larger by 2050 compared to today. And to meet that demand, Canada's electricity generation capacity will need to be 2.2 to 3.4 times bigger than today.