This article was previously published in the .
It’s been a very big year for progress on clean electricity in Canada. Friction between provinces and the federal government to . But that discord is obscuring the large strides being taken by Canada’s provinces and territories, as well as Indigenous Peoples, who understand that clean electricity is a .
So, let’s review this year’s progress by looking east to west, and unpack why these groups will continue to lead the way in 2025.
In 2024, Newfoundland continued to go all-in, developing substantial amounts of onshore wind energy, with the adoption of in October, paving the way for a similar push on offshore wind. And the planned with Quebec paves the way for massive amounts of in the future.
In Nova Scotia, federal support unlocked for six wind and energy projects in July. This is in addition to the announced in February to support an energy storage project done in partnership with 13 Mi’kmaw communities.
On Prince Edward Island, solar generation . And in New Brunswick, was announced this month.
Hydro-Québec has that will see investments of to ramp up clean energy and electrify the province. The province started the year off finalizing . And Hydro Quebec will end the year with its first request for proposals for .
Ontario has taken significant strides to expand clean electricity with a series of plans and investments, including $1.6 billion to refurbish nine . The province also procured in May, and its appetite for new capacity is only increasing — it recently increased a planned . This year also saw the completion of Canada’s largest in Northern Ontario and work continues on in the southwest of the province.
In September, Manitoba released its — the blueprint for its approach to deliver reliable and clean electricity. The plan introduced an for projects that are majority-owned by First Nation and Métis governments for up to 600 MW of power.
Saskatchewan started the year by selecting a builder for the , which will deliver 100 MW of capacity. And it also switched on its that can provide up to 20 MW of power back to the grid.
Alberta marked 2024 by burning its — more than five years ahead of schedule — thanks in large part to . And B.C. ended the year with the — eight of which will be First Nations majority-owned and will provide nearly the same amount of power as the province’s Site C dam.
And last but not least, the territories, with support from the federal government, saw in clean energy projects in Nunavut and for expansion of the Taltson hydro facility in the Northwest Territories.
The federal government also advanced its own policies in the electricity sector in 2024, recently finalizing the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) and (soon) the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The CER will help drive necessary investments in bigger, cleaner, smarter electricity systems, while allowing flexibility when it comes to limited use of gas generation in the interim.
This added flexibility — combined with billions of dollars in support for provinces and territories through the ITC for clean electricity and other supports — will help drive a smoother, more cost-effective transition.
However, despite these policy moves from the federal government, electricity remains provincial jurisdiction, and provinces and territories — and increasingly, Indigenous Peoples — will continue to be in the driver’s seat in 2025.
While it’s not always apparent, big steps are already being taken across the country on clean electricity — actions that are putting the country on a trajectory toward ensuring that Canada has the abundant, affordable, reliable power we need, now and into the future.
