Electricity demand, natural gas production and renewable power expected to soar by 2050
CBC
Electricity demand is set to boom in Canada by 2050, according to new modelling from the national energy regulator released on Tuesday.
The projections also foresee robust growth in natural gas production and expansion of renewable power in the country.
The latest modelling from the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) focuses on an expected spike in power demand from coast to coast as consumption grows 44 per cent from 2023 to 2050.
The increase is driven by residential and industrial demand, in addition to the technology sector, such as AI data centres.
Meanwhile, the capacity of the country’s electricity system is projected to double from 160 gigawatts in 2023 to 310 gigawatts in 2050. The increase in production will be driven mostly by wind energy, which could expand from 40 terawatt-hours of generation in 2023 to 277 terawatt-hours by 2050, the CER says.
"While the largest incremental source of generation is wind energy, we also see a rise in solar, and these variable power sources are supported by higher generation for more stable and dispatchable sources including hydroelectricity, nuclear and natural gas," said Darren Christie, the CER’s chief economist.
"We also see power lines between provinces play a growing role in balancing the variations in electricity supply and demand," said Christie, as total interprovincial transmission capacity is projected to grow by about 70 per cent by 2050.
Ontario is expanding its nuclear power with the construction of the first of four small modular nuclear power plants, at a total cost of more than $20 billion. Other provinces, including Alberta and Saskatchewan, are pursuing similar nuclear projects.
The modelling also predicts consumption of oil and natural gas will remain relatively unchanged over the decades to come, with fossil fuel use increasing by one per cent by 2050 compared to 2023.
Natural gas production is projected to increase from about 19 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 to reach between 21 billion and 32 billion by 2050. The amount of growth will hinge on the number of liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities that will be built.
Currently, only one LNG facility on the West Coast is operational, while a handful of others are in development or under construction.
"We could see more, we could see less, but the real story is that it's a major driver of the growth that we're projecting in natural gas production," said Christie.
The CER’s modelling for the oil production is unclear over the long term, largely because of factors such as uncertain global commodity prices. Canada’s oil production could jump by 18 per cent by 2050, or contract by 12 per cent.
The CER released four different scenarios, including its traditional baseline, which projects oil production will peak at 6.1 million barrels per day by 2042, before flattening to 5.9 million by 2050.
A new supergroup of musicians from Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation have collaborated on a Robbie Robertson-inspired song they will perform at the Junos Honouring Ceremony later this month in Hamilton.
People as young as 45 should be invited to provincial and territorial programs to screen for colorectal cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society urged on Wednesday.
The Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) has opened an office and retail space in Ottawa to create a stronger presence in the capital since removing itself from the Métis National Council in 2024.
Toronto resident Winhan Wong's lung cancer journey began in 2016, with a nagging cough that just wouldn't go away.
Last month, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak pointed out on social media that history was made this year because there are a record 164 female chiefs serving across the country.
Most of humanity has a great propensity to think in the short-term, but generally, long-term considerations — air pollution, deforestation and emissions, for example — just aren't our thing.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold in early April 2020, Kolter Bouchard was just weeks into fatherhood when he noticed a lump on his neck.
Advocates and health care providers say they remain concerned about First Nations kids seeking services under Jordan's Principle even after the Canadian government’s recent promise of $1.55 billion in funding.
Contrary to science fiction, black holes are not portals to other dimensions or cosmic vacuum cleaners that swallow up everything around them.
An attempt to preserve files documenting some of the worst harms caused by Indian Residential Schools could soon head to Parliament.
A new survey suggests about three million Canadian adults are currently taking GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro and that many more would like to, but cost is a barrier.
For years, people living in Canada’s north have reported an increasing numbers of polar bears on shore, venturing into communities and encountering humans.
When Maureen Hayes first tested her Ottawa home for radon a little over a year ago, the initial reading was far below Canada's current threshold to take action.