A New Energy Vision for Canada
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A New Energy Vision for Canada A New Energy Vision for Canada newenergycanada.ca | 1 endorsements Government Clean Air Landscaping Equiterre Faith Organizations endorsements More than 150 companies, City of North Vancouver, British Columbia Courtney Agencies Ltd. Fraserside Community Services Society Faith and the Common Good organizations, and City of Burnaby, British Columbia Black River Hydro Falls Brook Centre Canadian Memorial United Church governments support Gitga’at First Nation Black River Wind Sightline Institute Oikos Network this document. District of Saanich, Victoria, British Columbia Sea Breeze Power Corp Ecotrust Canada Noor Cultural Centre His Worship Mayor Ken Melamed, Resort Eclipse Awards International Inc. Ontario Sustainable Energy Association The Palyul Foundation of Canada Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia Dynamic Cities Project Wildsight Orgyan Osal Cho Dzong Temple His Worship Mayor Mike Bernier, Lanefab Design/Build Sustainable SFU and Retreat Centre City of Dawson Creek, British Columbia C. Easton, Sustainability Centre for International Governance Innovation Touching the Earth Working Group, Shambhala The Islands Trust Fairware Sierra Club of Canada Bishop of Trent-Durham Area & Suffragan Communicopia Sierra Club of British Columbia Bishop, Diocese of Toronto Companies and Industry Associations The Green Mama Sierra Club Canada – Atlantic Chapter United Church of Canada Forest Products Association of Canada Rain City Strategies Inc. Nova Scotia Environmental Network The Green Awakening Network AIR MILES For Social Change Chambar Restaurant Georgia Strait Alliance Ahavat Olam Synagogue BluEarth Renewables Biro Creative Sustainable Prosperity Pax Gaia Educational & Retreat Initiatives Electric Mobility Canada Anderson Greenplan One Earth Initiative Society Adam va-Adamah Environmental Society Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Agentic Communications Environment Northeast Trinity College Canadian Geothermal Energy Association Gobi Carbon Management Solutions The Ivey Foundation Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada Clean Energy British Columbia Outlook Land Design The Borealis Foundation The Interfaith Coalition for Offsetters Quantum Lighting County Sustainability Group Climate Justice, Halifax Greengate Power The Good Planet Company goBEYOND Campus Climate Network First Nations Engineering and LoCo Conservation Voters of British Columbia Technical Services Greengate Power Corporation MARINA DODIS Friends of Wild Salmon British Columbia Bioenergy Network King Pacific Lodge photo In Good Company Day4 Energy Whistler Center for Sustainability Academics Aeolis Wind We developed Junxion Strategy Inc. INSET Andrew Weaver, University of Victoria, Scotian WindFields A New Energy Vision School of Earth and Ocean Sciences Canadian Bioenergy Finance for Canada in mid- Nancy Oweiller, Simon Fraser University, maliketh Woodland Bio Fuels Chrysalix / 2011. Since then, School of Public Policy EnerWorks Cleantech Group com more than 150 civil- . Mark Jaccard, Simon Fraser University, Seaforth Energy Investeco society organizations, School of Resource and Alterra Renewal2 companies, industry Environmental Management Big Green Island Transportation Strategic Sustainable Investments associations, academics, tockphoto S I John Robinson, University of British Columbia, Integrated Power Systems Rudy North © and local governments Sustainability Initiative MD Energy Solutions have lent it their support. George Hoberg, University of British Columbia, photo Enfinity Non-Government Organizations Taken together, these Exro Technologies Inc. World Wildlife Fund Canada Department of Forest Resources Management endorsers represent the Lang Motors Canadian Association of Retired Persons cover Erica Frank, University of British Columbia, interests of more than 1.2 Quantum Wind Canadian Association of Faculty of Medicine, School of Population million Canadians. The MaRS Discovery District Physicians for Environment and Public Health list is still growing. If you Westcoast NRG Climate Action Network Canada James Tansey, University of British Columbia, would like to join their Endurance Wind Power Cascadia Green Building Council ISIS, at the Sauder School of Business ranks and help champion Borealis Geopower Environmental Defence David Keith, University of Calgary, a prosperous low-carbon Climate Smart Eco Justice Department of Chemical and future, please reach out. Kerr Wood Leidal Consulting The Pembina Institute Petroleum Engineering Thank you! West Coast Environment Law Stonebreaker Designs Merran Smith, B.C. Sustainable Energy Association EC3 Initiative Director, Energy Initiative HB Lanarc Atlantic Canada Sustainable Energy Coalition Tides Canada Roger Bayley Inc. Ecology Action Centre March 2012 Saul Good Gift Co. ForestEthics SEA Sustainability Now Consulting University Neighbourhoods Association DOCUMENT DESIGN & PRODUCTION: ANNABELLUZ.COM. 2 | A New Energy Vision for Canada newenergycanada.ca A New Energy Vision for Canada newenergycanada.ca | 3 executive Leading economies are racing toward a bold meeting international commitments with executive summary new vision of a future in which, by about respect to carbon, renewable energy, and the summary The world presently 2050, hydrocarbons have been supplanted phasing out of fossil-fuel subsidies. by clean and plentiful alternatives. This Any credible plan to transform Canada’s stands on the new era holds the promise of unprecedented economy must be rooted in objective prosperity, abundance, and geopolitical information informed by the best science, stability. Companies will be building value research, and economic modeling. We brink of a new- not on what they extract from the earth and recognize, however, that people approach process, but on how creatively they innovate the energy conversation from different a range of energy systems, technologies, and perspectives and assumptions, often based energy revolution services, in ways that improve environmental on competing information and analysis. quality and human quality of life. In this future, To this end, we propose using normative cities will have transformed themselves for scenario analysis to inform the development as significant to livability and efficiency, while nations will have and implementation of a national energy stopped going to war to secure the energy strategy. The technique enables participants they need. to assess different options and alternatives this young century This vision is not an idealistic dream nor in a collaborative manner, and can help an abstract debate, but an entirely practical provide decision makers with more objective as the discovery of scenario that is already unfolding. The process information. Scenario planning identifies of getting from here to there—we are calling it various frames and respects the differences the new-energy transition—is underway and between them, rather than pushing them to petroleum was to rife with opportunities. Indeed, it represents one side. We also propose some initial broad an unprecedented opportunity for Canada to design parameters for a process to develop a create wealth, build GDP, bolster the nation’s national energy strategy. the last. international credibility, and improve quality In March, we shared this vision and proposed of life. This country has a leading role to play in approach to a national energy strategy this transition—it has strong research capacity, with well over 100 leaders from multiple This new era a national character able to support deep sectors, from coast to coast to coast. We have change, abundant renewable electricity and incorporated much of their feedback into this holds the biomass resources, and, critically, the petroleum document, including a strong endorsement promise of reserves to finance the shift. that deep greenhouse-gas reductions must be This document imagines a Canada that included in any proposed new energy policy unprecedented has fully embraced the opportunities of a framework for Canada. prosperity, new-energy future. Like other discussion papers presently circulating the country, abundance, it endorses the idea of a national energy and strategy to guide the transition, and recognizes . the contributions that Canada’s oil and gas geopolitical industry make to the economy. Unlike others, stability. this document explicitly links prosperity with maliketh / deep greenhouse-gas reductions. It also com . recommends Canada embrace the global new-energy transition away from hydrocarbons and toward an energy services model based tockphoto S on renewable sources. This document also I © proposes essential ingredients of a national energy strategy, including a price on carbon, photo sectoral and regional diversity, and indicators inset to monitor progress toward our goals. The & authors and supporters of this document cover seek to maximize economic prosperity while 4 | A New Energy Vision for Canada newenergycanada.ca A New Energy Vision for Canada newenergycanada.ca | 5 TABLe oF CONTENTS 1 introduction 8 1.0 Purpose of this Document 9 2 our challenge 10 2.1 A Call for Action 12 2.1.1 Demand-Side Opportunities: Efficiency and Conservation 13 2.1.2 Supply-Side Opportunities: Renewables and Energy Services 14 2.1.3 The Five Drivers of Change 15 A New-Energy Vision for Canada in 2050 17 2.2 The Risks of Business as Usual 22 2.3 Benefits of a New-Energy Economy 24 3 a call for Leadership 26 3.1 A National Energy Strategy 28 3.1.1 Guiding Principles 29 3.1.2 Essential Ingredients 30 3.1.3 Examples of