BIGGER, CLEANER, SMARTER

The report argues that Canada's electricity systems must become "bigger, cleaner, and smarter" to serve as the backbone of a net zero economy by 2050. It identifies 'safe bets'—commercially available solutions like wind, solar, and energy efficiency—and 'wild cards'—emerging or high-barrier technologies like small modular reactors and carbon capture. The analysis emphasizes that while technical pathways exist, significant social, political, and institutional barriers, such as interregional grid integration and local opposition, must be overcome. It also highlights the unique challenges faced by remote communities and the necessity of Indigenous leadership in the energy transition.

• To achieve net zero by 2050, Canada's total electricity generation must increase to be 1.6 to 2.1 times greater than 2020 levels, with total installed capacity needing to reach 2.2 to 3.4 times current levels.
• By 2030, 63% to 96% of new capacity additions, including storage, must come from solar, wind, and storage to align with net zero goals.
• Unabated fossil fuel generation must be phased out almost entirely, limited to just 1% of Canada's electricity by 2050 to meet net zero targets.
• Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) in electricity generation is considered a 'wild card' and is projected to play a modest role, comprising at most 4% of the national generation mix in 2050.
• Demand-side flexibility, such as shifting electric vehicle charging to off-peak hours, is a 'safe bet' that can significantly reduce the need for new peaking capacity; for example, utility-controlled EV charging could avoid 5,100 MW of capacity in British Columbia by 2050.
• Expanding interregional grid integration is a 'wild card' not due to technical limits, but because of deep-seated political and institutional barriers, despite the potential to save billions of dollars annually.
• Remote and off-grid communities face distinct challenges, including a heavy reliance on expensive diesel and higher energy consumption due to colder climates and lower building efficiency.
• Canada's starting position is favorable due to a relatively clean electricity mix, with 2020 emissions intensity at 124 gCO2 per kWh, significantly lower than the global average of 458 gCO2/kWh.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2022). BIGGER, CLEANER, SMARTER. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bigger-Cleaner-Smarter-May-4-2022.pdf#page=22

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. BIGGER, CLEANER, SMARTER. 2022. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bigger-Cleaner-Smarter-May-4-2022.pdf#page=22.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=BIGGER, CLEANER, SMARTER |date=May 2022 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bigger-Cleaner-Smarter-May-4-2022.pdf#page=22 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2022bigger, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{BIGGER, CLEANER, SMARTER}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bigger-Cleaner-Smarter-May-4-2022.pdf#page=22}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }