{"id":63551,"date":"2024-05-17T09:17:51","date_gmt":"2024-05-17T16:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energi.media\/?p=63551"},"modified":"2024-05-17T09:17:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-17T16:17:51","slug":"canadian-coal-fired-electricity-generation-rapidly-being-replaced-by-low-and-non-emitting-energy-sources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energi.media\/news\/canadian-coal-fired-electricity-generation-rapidly-being-replaced-by-low-and-non-emitting-energy-sources\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian coal-fired electricity generation rapidly being replaced by low and non-emitting energy sources"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was published by the Canada Energy Regulator<\/a> on May 15, 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2016, Canada announced the goal to phase out unabated\u00a0coal-fired power plants by 2030.(<\/span>1)<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0This followed decades of progress in the transition away from coal-fired power.(<\/span>2)<\/a><\/sup> Between 2005 and 2021 coal-fired power generation decreased by 66 per cent nationally.<\/p>\n

In 2021 coal made up 5 per cent of Canada\u2019s electricity generation and was concentrated in Alberta 50 per cent, Saskatchewan 32 per cent, Nova Scotia 14 per cent, and New Brunswick 5 per cent.(<\/span>3)<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0These provinces are phasing out coal-fired generation, replacing it with lower-emission natural gas or non-emitting power generation alternatives.(<\/span>4)<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

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Source and Description
Source: The source for this chart is the data from the Canada\u2019s Energy Future 2023 (EF2023) report, which can be found on the Open Government Portal here: Canada\u2019s Energy Future 2023: Energy Supply and Demand Projections to 2050. In this EF2023 data, historical information is primarily obtained from Statistics Canada and supplemented by additional data from provincial governments, utilities, system operators, and industry associations.
Description: This graph displays coal-fired electricity generation from 2005 to 2021. The data is visualized in a line graph showing a steady downward trend of coal-fired electricity generation from a high of 97 terawatt hours in 2005 to 32 terawatt hours in 2021. To see an animated version of this graph, click here<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What has replaced unabated coal-fired power generation?<\/h3>\n

Between 2003 and 2014, Ontario completed a staged phase-out of approximately 8,000 megawatts (MW) of coal-fired generation capacity. This retired capacity was replaced with increases in non-hydro renewables and natural gas (each accounting for 44 per cent of the capacity added during that timeframe), in addition to nuclear refurbishments and conservation and demand management initiatives.(<\/span>5)<\/a><\/sup> By 2014, generation from non-emitting energy sources\u2014including nuclear, hydro, and non-hydro renewables\u2014accounted for 91 per cent of Ontario\u2019s electricity generation, compared to 65 per cent back in 2003 (before the coal phase-out).<\/p>\n

Other provinces are still phasing out unabated coal-fired power plants. Alberta, historically a major producer of coal-fired power, announced in 2015 its plan to eliminate coal electricity emissions by 2030. Most coal plants in the province are transitioning to natural gas by the end of 2024, and all but two units were already transitioned by 2023, much earlier than previously expected(<\/span>6)<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick aim to cease coal-fired power generation by 2030, replacing it with imports from other provinces as well as wind, solar, nuclear, and biomass sources within the two provinces.(<\/span>7)<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Saskatchewan’s SaskPower plans to phase out conventional coal-fired power plants by 2030 and is updating their plan for future supply this year.(<\/span>8)<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Figure\u00a02: Change in fuel\/technology use for electricity generation 2005-2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Source: The source for this chart is the data from the Canada\u2019s Energy Future 2023 (EF2023) report, which can be found on the Open Government Portal here: Canada\u2019s Energy Future 2023: Energy Supply and Demand Projections to 2050. In this EF2023 data, historical information is primarily obtained from Statistics Canada and supplemented by additional data from provincial governments, utilities, system operators, and industry associations.
Description: This graph displays changes in the fuel\/technology used to generate electricity from 2005 to 2021, measured in terawatt hours. The data is visualized in a bar chart showing a 66 per cent decrease in coal and 77 per cent decrease in oil. Increases are shown in wind (2377 per cent), natural gas (86 per cent), hydro (6 per cent), biomass (35 per cent), uranium (<1 per cent), and solar (no solar in 2005).\u00a0 To see an animated version of this graph, click here<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The electricity grid of the future<\/h3>\n

Canada\u2019s electricity system is undergoing significant changes, especially for coal, that is regulated to phase out by 2030. The transition away from coal towards lower and non-emitting energy sources means that the electricity grid of the future will generate less pollution than the electricity grid of the past.(<\/span>9)<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Footnotes<\/h3>\n