Canada aims to double its electricity capacity by 2050

The Carney administration has announced plans to double Canada's electricity generation capacity by 2050 in order to meet the growing needs of the industrial sector, the transportation sector, and data centers.

Ottawa's new National Strategy also aims to reduce energy costs for approximately 70% of Canadian households, improve the interconnection of provincial grids, and build new power transmission lines.

The Carney administration estimates that such construction projects will cost over $1 trillion. Public funds will be used to cover part of these expenses.

According to him, some 130,000 new workers will be needed to double the size of the grid. He is therefore committing to creating 30,000 new jobs by 2028 and an additional 100,000 by 2050.

According to Prime Minister Mark Carney, the goal of this package of measures is to ensure a more reliable, affordable, and cleaner electricity supply for the coming decades. To achieve this, Ottawa plans to launch consultations in the coming months with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, and industry.

The government will focus on investments in multiple energy sources, including hydroelectricity, nuclear power, wind power, solar power, energy storage, and electric transportation.

Ultimately, these measures could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector by a factor of five, according to the document outlining the National Strategy. The goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 remains on track, the document states.

The National Strategy also remains vague on the role natural gas will play in increasing electricity production, reports Radio-Canada.

Carney argued that this fossil fuel will help make electricity more affordable in the short term and will be useful for “certain markets, in certain provinces.”

“It's a complement to a much broader investment in clean energy,” he assured.

The Strategy proposes amending the Clean Electricity Regulation, introduced by former Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. Guilbeault has been highly critical of his government's environmental policies. Starting in 2035, this regulation will establish strict limits on pollution from the electricity sector, among other measures.