March 11, 2022 Ottawa, Ontario Natural Resources Canada
One of the most effective ways to fight climate change is to power our communities, buildings and homes with clean electricity. Atlantic Canada is already leading the way with a solid path to cleaner forms of non-emitting and renewable energy. Governments across the region have put in place policy measures that have led utilities to make significant investments to move to clean power and interconnect their electricity systems.
Building on this progress, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources; the Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia; the Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Honourable Mike Holland, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, Government of New Brunswick, today unveiled a collective Atlantic Canadian vision for an interconnected clean power grid that would serve as the foundation for a competitive, electrified economy across the Atlantic region. This is a shared commitment to keeping our air clean while powering people's lives with affordable, reliable electricity.
Developed by the federal government with the Atlantic provincial governments and their respective utilities, with input from the Government of Quebec and Hydro-Québec, which participated as observers, the Clean Power Roadmap for Atlantic Canada Final Report explores how we can share Atlantic Canada's abundant resources to grow and enhance the clean power grid across the provinces during the coming decades. This initiative builds on the Interim Report delivered in October 2020.
The continued leadership of Indigenous Peoples and communities is critical to Atlantic Canada's clean power future. Indigenous peoples will play a key role in transforming Atlantic Canada's power systems through increased innovation, expertise and environmental stewardship. Developing clean electricity projects through engagement and consultation with Indigenous communities accelerates the path toward reconciliation and ensures that Indigenous communities more directly share in and benefit from energy development.
Key findings from the report include:
New electricity generating resources will be needed to meet increasing loads on the system and to replace existing infrastructure;
Electricity demand is expected to increase across the region between 2020 and 2050, and investments will be needed to update existing systems;
Clean energy, such as hydro, delivered throughout Atlantic Canada with enhanced electricity transmission could provide a wide array of benefits to the electricity system and help power the energy systems of the future for individual provinces; and,
A strengthened Atlantic Loop will be the backbone of the regional grid and could provide Atlantic Canadians with an affordable and reliable supply of clean power underpinned by a regionally integrated, modern electricity system.
