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Survey of Canadian Hydropower Potential PDF Print E-mail

1.    BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Interest in hydropower as a renewable energy source is on the rise.  As part of an ongoing strategy to promote hydropower as a viable energy source, the Canadian Hydropower Association (CHA) identified the need to obtain an up-to-date and accurate picture of hydropower potential in Canada.  In 2005, the CHA retained ÉEM to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the most detailed hydropower assessments in Canada.  

 

2.    APPROACH AND STRATEGY

The study aimed to obtain both technical and economic hydropower data. Compiled from federal, provincial, and territorial Canadian jurisdictions, the hydropower data was to include watersheds, rivers, and sites for both large and small hydropower potential sites.  The data would be obtained mostly from various utility companies and government reports. The data collection phase of the study took place between August 2005 and February 2006.
 
 
Provinces / Territories   
Technical Potential 
 Alberta  11,775
 British Columbia
 33,137
 Manitoba  8,785
 New Brunswick
 613.8
 Newfoundland & Labrador
 8,540
 Northwest Territories 
 11,524
 Nova Scotia
 8,499
 Nunavut
 4,307
 Ontario  10,270
 Prince Edward Island  2.6
 Québec
 44,100
 Saskatchewan  3,955
 Yukon  17,664
 Canada

 163,173


3.    SOLUTION
The study identified the total technical hydropower potential in Canada to be 163,173 MW, with more than half of the potential coming from Québec, Alberta, and British Columbia. (The technical potential is the possible hydropower capacity without considering the feasibility factors.)  The table provides an overview of the hydropower potentials identified within the provincial and territorial jurisdictions in Canada.  The economic potential was not always available, and so a comprehensive number for Canada could not be reported.
    

4.    RESULTS
The study succeeded in generating a greater level of accuracy and completeness of data on the technical hydropower potentials within provincial and territorial jurisdictions, with specific information on sites, watersheds and rivers.  It presented a valuable undertaking in documenting the methodological framework and source data that should be applied for a study of this magnitude. The report served as a data source for a submission by the CHA to the Council of Energy Ministers in August 2006.


 

 
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