Accélérer la construction d'installations d'énergie propre

The report argues that Canada must add over 10 GW of zero-emission capacity annually until 2050 to reach its climate goals. To achieve this, it proposes a 'fast track' permitting process for modest projects using proven technologies, contrasting with an existing track for large-scale or experimental projects. The proposed framework focuses on three pillars: technology (proven, low impact), location (objective, binary criteria), and timeline (fixed limits for each project phase). It emphasizes the central role of municipal and Indigenous governments in granting approvals to ensure social acceptability and the protection of key ecological elements. The document also analyzes the constitutional competencies of federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous authorities to implement these reforms.

• Canada needs to add more than 10 gigawatts of zero-emission capacity to its grid every year from the present until 2050 to achieve carbon neutrality for electricity by 2035 and the whole economy by 2050.
• The required growth rate for electricity production in Canada may need to be six times faster than the rate observed over the last decade.
• The report proposes a 'two-track' approval system: an existing track for large-scale, unproven, or wide-reaching projects, and a new 'fast track' for modest installations using proven clean technologies.
• Technologies eligible for the fast track must meet five attributes: they must be proven (not experimental), have minimal off-site environmental impact and no human health effects, have a limited geographic impact zone, be easy to acquire, and have a rapid construction-to-operation timeline.
• To ensure predictability and efficiency, the report suggests that location approvals for eligible technologies be based on a small number of objective, binary ('yes/no') and binding criteria, focusing on local community support, protection of key ecological elements, and compensation for affected neighbors.
• Social acceptability is critical; the report recommends that municipal and Indigenous governments lead the approval process, as projects lacking local favor often face long-term opposition and legal challenges.
• The report highlights the need for a coordinated approach to protect biodiversity, noting that previous reforms in Ontario failed because they did not explicitly integrate the protection of endangered species into the renewable energy approval process.
• To prevent neighborhood conflicts, the report suggests that any resident in a defined 'effect zone' who does not directly participate in the project should receive compensation, such as electricity bill reductions or property tax cuts.
• The report argues that all five levels of government in Canada—federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous—possess the theoretical constitutional competence to implement the proposed acceleration of permitting processes.
• The report suggests that the federal government could use its power to declare certain works as being of 'general interest for Canada' to ensure the rapid construction of crucial installations, such as transmission lines for remote communities.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2023). Accélérer la construction d'installations d'énergie propre. https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/accelerer-la-construction-dinstallations-denergie-propre/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Accélérer la construction d'installations d'énergie propre. 2023. https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/accelerer-la-construction-dinstallations-denergie-propre/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Accélérer la construction d'installations d'énergie propre |date=12 December 2023 |url=https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/accelerer-la-construction-dinstallations-denergie-propre/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2023acclrer, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Accélérer la construction d'installations d'énergie propre}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/accelerer-la-construction-dinstallations-denergie-propre/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }