Dam Nation

Unlike America, Canada has had a continuing love affair with hydropower. Our neighbor to the north is a hydro powerhouse. It is the third largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world, outproduced only by China and Brazil. The US ranks fourth, having generated only 63 percent as much hydropower in 2022 as Canada.

Hydropower accounts for over 60 percent of Canada’s total electricity generation, whereas it provides only about 6 percent of total electricity generated in the US. And, in fact, Canada is a net exporter of electricity to the US, with annual net exports averaging around 50 TWh (source: Canada Energy Regulator).

Hydropower has been a critical component of Canada’s electric power infrastructure since soon after Edison developed the first practical incandescent electric light bulb. The oldest Canadian hydroelectric generating station still in operation was commissioned at Chaudière Falls on the Ottawa River in 1891. As late as the 1950’s, over 90% of Canada’s electricity was hydropower. Even today, 80% or more of the electricity supply in five provinces comes from hydropower.

Canada continues to develop its hydropower potential. BC Hydro’s 1,100 MW Site C facility on the Peace River in British Columbia soon will become operational (its generating capacity will be about the same as Bonneville Dam in the US). Various significant plant refurbishments and redevelopments are underway. It has been estimated that the country has the potential over time to more than double its current capacity.

Hydropower has been a major factor in helping Canada reach its clean energy goals. Hydropower produces no air pollutants, has ultra-low greenhouse gas emissions, and is the only abundant form of renewable, flexible baseload electricity generation with long-duration energy storage capability. And, unlike other weather-dependent variable forms of renewable energy, it produces power on demand. Not surprisingly, Canada’s electricity grid is the cleanest of all G20 nations (source: WaterPower Canada).

Most Canadians view hydropower positively. In fact, many of them call all electricity “hydro”, regardless of its source. They even refer to their electric bill as their hydro bill. They see no distinction between hydropower and other renewable energy sources. On the other hand, many Americans now view hydropower negatively due to concerns about its environmental impact. While the US EPA considers hydropower renewable, it does not consider large-scale hydropower to be “green”, which it defines as energy that provides the “highest environmental benefit.” Some states, including California, go as far as declaring large-scale hydropower not to be renewable energy and not to count toward Renewable Portfolio Standards. These perceptions and restrictions greatly discourage new hydropower projects in the US.

We Americans can learn a lesson from our neighbors to the north. As discussed in my prior blog, Open the Floodgates!, we need to understand that hydropower can be a favorable component of our renewable energy arsenal and is critical to achieving our clean energy goals.