Développer l’électricité propre

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), on behalf of the 'Electrifying Canada' private sector task force, outlines the requirements and obstacles for scaling up clean electricity production in Canada to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It argues that current utility planning is insufficient to meet the projected demand and proposes five catalysts—specifically focusing on regulatory mandates, proactive planning, and private investment—to accelerate the transition.

• To reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Canada must clean remaining carbon-emitting electricity sources and at least double its non-emitting electricity production. While emissions fell by over 50% since 2005 to 62 million tonnes in 2020, the federal government's Emission Reduction Plan targets a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.
• Electricity demand is projected to at least double by 2050 to support economy-wide electrification. This demand is expected to be driven primarily by buildings (at least 50%), transport (one third), and industry (between 10% and 15%).
• There is a significant gap between current utility planning and the requirements for net-zero. While net-zero trajectories suggest a need for 12% to 25% more energy by 2030, most plans fall short. By 2050, net-zero trajectories require growth between 65% and 115%, whereas Canadian utilities collectively project only a 40% increase.
• Three primary obstacles hinder the development of clean electricity: demand forecasting and system planning that ignore net-zero targets, a regulatory environment that prioritizes low cost and reliability over climate goals, and the high financial cost of rapid infrastructure expansion, which could lead to higher electricity rates and political interference.
• The report calls for provincial governments to modernize the mandates of regulators and utilities to integrate net-zero objectives. This would require utilities to optimize supply mixes for net-zero demand at the lowest cost while maintaining safety, affordability, and reliability.
• To fund the necessary expansion, the report advocates for public-private-Indigenous financing initiatives. This includes using public funds to mitigate risks to attract long-term private investment and exploring models such as project financing by utilities, equity partnerships with Indigenous or private actors, and power purchase agreements.
• Indigenous communities are already key players in clean energy; Inuit, Métis, or First Nations entities are partners or beneficiaries of nearly 20% of Canadian electricity production infrastructure, almost all of which is renewable.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2022). Développer l’électricité propre. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-07/scaling-up-clean-electricity-fr.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Développer l’électricité propre. 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-07/scaling-up-clean-electricity-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Développer l’électricité propre |date=May 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-07/scaling-up-clean-electricity-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2022dvelopper, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Développer l’électricité propre}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-07/scaling-up-clean-electricity-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }