What on earth is Canada doing with all that energy?

Energy poster (HAE 2004)

Earth, water, wind and fire . . .

Our vast country provides us with an abundance of natural energy resources, enabling us to meet our own energy needs and to be one of the world’s leading exporters of energy.

• Some 37 years ago, Canada moved from being a net consumer to a net producer of energy.
• Canada produced 45% more energy than it consumed in 2002, though our energy consumption per capita reached a record high.
• In 2001 alone, Canada’s energy exports (worth $55.1 billion) represented 14% of all exports.

What’s the state of Canada ’s energy?

Canada has many types of energy resources, both renewable and non-renewable. From coal, oil and gas, to uranium and the water that produces hydro electricity, no single energy source is dominant today.

Did you know --?

• With access to nearly 7% of the world’s total renewable water flow, Canada has become the world leader in hydro-electric power production.
• Canada has one of the world’s largest deposits of oil –the Alberta oil sands– estimated to contain more than the conventional oil deposits of the Middle East!
• We’re among the top ten energy producers in the world of all energy sources except coal.

Where do we get our energy?

• In Canada, most primary fuels (oil, gas, coal and uranium) are found in the western provinces and off the east coast (oil and gas). Oil, gas, coal and uranium are mined or extracted; supplies of these are finite (non-renewable).
• Hydro electricity, Canada’s major source of renewable energy, is produced in varying amounts by every province and territory except for Prince Edward Island.
• Nuclear power generation is concentrated mainly in Ontario and to a far lesser extent in both New Brunswick and Quebec.
• Secondary energy sources, such as thermal-electric power plants, can be found across the country.

How about renewable energy?

In 2002, renewable energy sources accounted for 17% of Canada’s energy supply. Hydro electricity is Canada’s principal source of renewable energy. Other alternative, low-impact sources are wind, solar, biomass, earth and geothermal energy, smallscale hydro, and tidal.

• Hydro electricity: Canada is the world’s top producer of hydro-electric power, providing us with 59% of our electricity supply in 2002.
• Wind energy ― The fastest-growing form of renewable energy in Canada: Harnessing the wind to generate electrical or mechanical energy uses no fuel and produces no greenhouse gases.

Can we change energy’s impact?

Today, Canada's energy policy tries to balance three important, and at times conflicting, objectives: security, prosperity and the environment. Total energy consumption rose by 18% between 1990 and 2002. Without increased energy efficiency practices, the rise would have been 31%.

• Greenhouse gas emissions rose by more than 18% between 1990 and 2001 due mostly to energy-related emissions (burning fossil fuels). The cleanest alternative energy sources are wind and solar.
• Industry provided 70% of the total R&D expenditures on energy in 2001, with a 300% increase in spending on renewable energy R&D.
• In 2002, 40% of businesses reported using at least one form of energy conservation, such as waste-to-energy systems, cogeneration, and fuel substitution.