Harnessing hydroelectric power in British Columbia, Canada Introduction Energy related activities are the primary source of human caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada, and electrical power generated from fossil fuels is contributing to the rise in those emissions. Hydropower as a source of electricity is a feasible low carbon alternative, as dams and reservoirs have low greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions compared to fossil fuel energy generation. Canada has harnessed this potential power source as it is the world’s third largest producer of hydropower, contributing 12% globally, behind China and Brazil (Lee, Cheng, & Scheelar, 2011). Hydropower as a source of electricity has a lot of potential in British Columbia (BC), a western Canadian province. British Columbia along with Quebec comprise 2/3rds of the country’s presently developed hydropower capacity and have 50% of undeveloped capacity (Lee, Cheng, & Scheelar, 2011). 90% of BC’s electricity comes from hydropower, so pushing for completely renewable sources of electricity is realistic in this province (Fuamba & Mahdi, 2012). This proposal aims to implement multiple small-scale run-of-river hydropower facility in BC to provide low carbon electricity for the each local region. This proposal will address the strengths and weaknesses of hydropower, the different technologies and facilities available, and economic and geographical factors relevant to British Columbia. Review There are many ways to
Moving into the next renewable energy, there is a big advantage that hydroelectric power is that hydropower dams is a huge renewable resource and using water to create electricity has no carbon footprint. As well as there is less pollution from it overall. There are many advantages but there are two distinct disadvantages, one of them being the cost to build an electric power station. The cost
Manitoba Hydro is Manitoba’s major energy utility provider, serving 561,869 electric customers and 274,817 natural gas customers throughout the province (2). Manitoba Hydro provides services that run from exporting electricity worldwide, to providing customers with tips on how to save money on their electricity bills. Hydro provides services such as Power Smart technologies, which help to reduce a client 's energy consumption while reducing their environmental impact. Manitoba Hydro is a large believer in protecting the environment. Environmental protection was seen with their large-scale capital projects such as environmental protection and monitoring programs, climate change initiatives, energy efficiency initiatives, and environmental research and development (2). Manitoba Hydro became a crown corporation in 1961 through the Manitoba Hydro Act; the utility was governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board (17). Manitoba Hydro controlled the gas and electric consumptions within Manitoba except Winnipeg Hydro. In 2002, an acquisition occurred meaning that Manitoba Hydro now owns Winnipeg Hydro. Today Manitoba Hydro is a major energy utility providing the lowest electricity rates in Canada. We operate 15 hydroelectric facilities on the Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Burntwood, Laurie and Nelson rivers, two thermal and four diesel generating stations (1).
BC Hydro is a provincial Crown corporation and one of the largest electric utilities in Canada. It is owned by the B.C. government and the people of B.C. Victoria Gas Company was founded in 1860, starting the B.C. Hydro legacy. There mandate is to generate, purchase, distribute and sell electricity (Regulatory Information, 2017). Over the next twenty years, electricity demand will continue to grow by approximately 40 per cent. Therefore, BC Hydro is proposing the Site C project. The Site C project is favorable to our society because it is beneficial to the British Columbia (BC) economy, it is the most efficient option to improve electricity supply and it has the least environmental effect.
The government of Nova Scotia has made policies to reach certain environmental standards in energy production through the Environmental Goals and Prosperity Act, passed in 2007. These targets include
Canada has the potential to be a “sustainable energy superpower” due to the vast amount of resources it contains. It has a large landmass and diversified geography which can be used to produce renewable energy from such resources; watermill, wind, biomass, solar, geothermal, and ocean energy. Renewable energy is energy obtained from natural resources that are able to be naturally replenished within a human lifespan (Natural Resource Canada, 2014). Currently, fossil fuel burning is the major source of energy in Canada and although it can be re-used, the process is so long that it is considered to be non-renewable. Also, fossil fuel burning for coal, natural gas, and petroleum gas pollutes the environment with greenhouse gases on a large scale, causing global warming. Non-renewable energy is taken from sources that re available on Earth in limited quantity, likely vanishing within fifty to sixty years from today (Conserve Energy Future, 2014). Thus, it is important for Canada to invest their money on resorting to more environmentally friendly and renewable ways to make electricity. Being a developed country, Canada has the financial stability to purchase the technologies over time in order to produce renewable energy. In addition, many organizations and the government have taken a step to educate the society about issues regarding energy usage, and to create programs which conserve energy for the future. In the future generations, Canada will be able to generate sufficient
The objective of this paper is twofold. First, we introduce the modern condition of Canada’s energy consumption and the economic benefits. Second, we define and analyze the projections of Canada’s future with respect to the renewable energy frontier. The demand for Energy across the globe has drastically increased since the Industrial revolution. From coal to steam, all the way to electricity and nuclear energy, modern economies and industries rely on sustainable sources of energy to produce their desired output levels (Zelby 2002). Ontario, and Canada in general are on the frontier of energy production and sustainability with regards to smart grid technologies and so forth (Ontario Energy Plan). Canada specializes in many of the
Canada is one of the biggest energy producer in the world. Currently Canada is ranked 5th in regards to its production of energy in the world. Canada’s energy policy, should revolve around the natural resources and their optimum use to produce cheap and clean energy, which should be environmental friendly. Our policy should be beneficial for all the Canadians living in different parts of the country and that the policy should not discriminate among the provinces. Canada is also the biggest consumer of the energy in the world, as it consume most of energy per capita because of the extreme weather conditions that it face. We need to keep ourselves warm and need to transport goods and people from one place to another. Canada 's energy policy should be sound and aggressive and be comprehensive. Generally world energy is produced using the fossil fuel, whereas in Canada we have adequate alternative energy resources such as wind power, tidal power, solar energy, hydro power and nuclear energy. Our energy policy should be developed to explore these resources.
Since 23% percent of our energy is by using fossil fuels, Canada can get 100% of its electricity from environmentally friendly and renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by just making a few changes. For one, if Canada put a price on carbon it would drastically decrease the amount of carbon that is burned and then emitted to the air. If we also eliminate subsidies on fossil fuels less companies will use them. Tar sand companies especially would respond well to this new rule as they would have to stop or slow down their operations even though they are planning to crease there productions to 3.8 barrels a day in 2022. If the companies decide to increase productions all the things we can do will be for nothing.
Canada is one of the biggest energy producers in the world. Currently Canada is ranked fifth in regards to the production of energy. Canada 's energy policy should revolve around the natural resources and their optimum use to create cheap and clean energy, which should be environmentally friendly. Our policy should be beneficial for all the Canadians living in different parts of the country and that the policy should not discriminate among the provinces. Canada is also the biggest consumer of the energy in the world, as it consumes most of energy per capita because of the extreme weather conditions that it faces. We need to keep ourselves warm through the winter and have to transport goods and people from one place to another. Canada 's
Furthermore, generating hydroelectricity does not produce any kinds of greenhouse gases or smog emissions. Finding the balance between an efficient energy source that does not produce any greenhouse gases are crucial, especially in this day and time, where climate change is prominently becoming a large issue not just in Canada but all over the world. Between 1990 and 2013 Canada’s increase in emissions were caused by fossil fuels. Fortunately, there was a slight reduction from 2005 to 2013 and that was from the public electricity sector, for example, by using hydroelectric stations. If canada increased the percentage in which the hydroelectric stations supplied energy to, Canada could potentially cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and smog.
The purpose is to compare the methods of Electrical Generation in Canada and France. The outcome on my research is to provide information on the most and least sources of electricity generations in both of these countries. The energy sources that I am comparing are Liquids and Petroleum, Natural Gas, Coal, Nuclear, Hydroelectric, Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Tidal/Wave Power and Biofuels.
Currently, the energy (electricity generation) sector in Canada is facing a major crisis, which is the fear of running out of world’s natural resources to produce electricity. Even though the Canadian government is promoting renewable resources, it will take a long time to establish a network that is completely dependent on renewable resources. In the meantime, the population of Canada is growing drastically and cities such as Toronto is struggling to meet the rising demand for electricity due to urbanization.
Hydroelectric is a form of energy it is a renewable resource. Hydroelectricity is the most important and widely used renewable source of energy. Hydroelectric relies on water, which is clean and renewable energy source. Renewable energy comes from natural resources. Non-Renewable energy source includes coal, oil and natural gas. Water is renewable because water continually recycles itself. To harness energy from flowing water, the water must be controlled; a large reservoir is created, usually by damming a river to create an artificial lake or reservoir. Water is channeled through tunnels in the dam. The energy of water flowing through the dam causes the turbines to turn and make the
Hydroelectric power plant is one of the major power plants all over the world in order to create electricity. It is also one of the best renewable energy sources on the planet earth. In ranking, Canada is the third largest country to produce hydroelectricity power. The efficiency of this power source is 90% and this is very impressive as the percentage of efficiency is very high. Hydro power plants generate 24% of the world’s electricity. More than 1 billion people are associated with hydro power plants as they use the power supply from hydro power plants.
“Worldwide, hydropower facilities possess a significant amount of installed electric generating capacity. IEA statistics indicate that at the end of 2001 there was in excess of 450,000 MW of installed capacity within IEA member countries, with about half in Europe and half in North America. In addition to conventional hydropower, there is more than 80,000 MW of installed pumped-hydro capacity in IEA countries. In contrast, utility-scale wind power is relatively new in the electric market, but increasing rapidly” (Integration of Wind and Hydropower Systems)