Grid Power
RET

Source for Capacity

Notes

Wind

Ref
4

Current installations shown on CanWEA website.

Hydro

Ref
13

Includes many existing small hydro sites that may NOT
be EcoLogo-
certifiable.

Solar
PV

Ref
1

LFG

Ref
3

Biomass

Ref
3, p. 119

Many of the existing 1900 MW of biogas plants are
NOT EcoLogo- certifiable and are off-grid such as for pulp
and paper industry plants.
Only 128 MW used by independent power producers.

Wave

Ref
11

Plans for 4MW wave generator off B.C. fell through.

Tidal

Ref
3

20 MW quoted in reference for N.S. tidal generator,
but not EcoLogo-
certifiable so not counted.

Geothermal

Ref
5

Grid-Power
RET

Source
for

Notes

Capacity
Factor

Low
Potential

High
Potential

Wind

Ref
1

Ref
13

Ref
14

Offshore
wind is not considered in the estimate as data
are
largely non-existent (Ref 20). Even though turbines
in
Canada are typically 25%-35% capacity factor
today, 35%
was chosen from PP 2002 paper since higher and
larger
turbines are expected in the future.

Hydro

Ref
13

Ref
6

Ref
18

Ref
18 notes: “based on EcoLogo: larger than
11,000 MW,
assuming that most existing sites smaller than
20 MW can
be exploited in a fashion that complies with
EcoLogo
requirements, and that there are several more
sites that are
larger than 20 MW for which one could assume
the same.
We know that at least 3,000 MW more than identified
in
the Atlas exist in Canada, based on local assessments.”

Solar
PV

Ref
3, pp.113-121

Ref
2

Ref
22

CanSIA
representative indicated that total potential
cited
by Pollution Probe (9,785 MW) is very low–
recommended using 70,000 MW as a minimum with
no
maximum supplied. Therefore, use PP estimate
as low value,
and 100,000 as high (number chosen in the absence
of
others supplied).

LFG

Ref
3, pp. 113-121

Ref
16

Ref
3, pp. 113-121

Conestoga
Rovers and Associates (CRA): “Although
all landfills produce methane, there is a certain
threshold LFG
production rate that the landfill has to produce
to make
capture and utilisation an economically viable
proposition.”

Biomass

Ref
3, pp. 113-121

Ref
3, pp. 113-121

Ref
12, p. 10

High:
BIOCAP estimates 2 EJ/yr available biomass energy.

Wave

Ref
11

Ref
11

Ref
11

Tidal

Ref
1

Ref
11

Ref
3

PP
notes: “at a 30% capacity factor, 1 TW
of wave power
could provide five times the electricity Canada
consumes in
a year (about 600 TWh).”

Geothermal

Ref
5

Ref
5

Grid-Power
RET

Source
for

Notes

2010
– Low

2010
– High

2020
– Low

2020
– High

Wind

Ref
3, pp. 113-121

Ref
4

Ref
3

Ref
20

(approx. 45,000 MW of wind). Canada has the
wind resource to do this, but we still have
to assess if it is ‘practical’ from
a transmission standpoint.”
Offshore wind not included because currently
no estimates exist from independent sources.
The best available estimate is 2,500 MW of economically

feasible offshore wind power, consisting of
500 MW on each coast and 1,500 MW on the Great
Lakes;
source: O’Gorman, Steve; Canadian Hydro
Developers response to extracts from Pollution
Probe Green Power Workshop Backgrounder
document for Feb. 2004 workshop.

Hydro

Ref
18

Ref
13

Ref
18

Reference
18 notes:
• Feasible by 2010: 5,600 MW (= 40% of
total; includes projects already in the pipeline)
• Feasible by 2020: 9,800 MW (= 70% of
total)

Solar
PV

Ref
22

Ref
21

Ref
3, pp. 113-121

Ref
22

CanSIA
notes: “PV has likely gone as far as it
can in significant increases in deployment in
‘off grid’
markets in Canada. International, industrialized
country markets are now 90% grid and 10% off
grid– we would expect Canada to follow international
trends. PV is installed on building roofs and
hence the criteria on distance to transmission
lines is
irrelevant – the limitations relate to
the surface area of buildings that have adequate
exposure to solar energy… should not
be a limiting factor. CanSIA estimates that
the industry can sustain 35-40% annual growth
without putting a strain on its
infrastructure.”

LFG

Ref
3, pp. 113-121

Ref
3, pp.113-121

Environment
Canada agrees with PP 2002 numbers as being
double and triple today’s installed capacity.

Biomass

Ref
23

Ref
23

Ref
3, pp. 113-121

Maximums assume aggressive use of residual biomass
from agricultural and other industries, even

though some, especially agriculture, need to
recycle biomass back into the soil to preserve
nutrients for future crop growth.
PP later clarified that 1500-2000 MW could be
possible for 2010. High estimate was used instead
of
previous low of 6000 MW.

Wave

Ref
23

Ref
23

Ref
23

PP
said still experimental and no utility-sized
plants
until after 2020, so maybe only a pilot plant
before then.

Tidal

Ref
23

Ref
23

Ref
23

Ref
23

PP
said maybe a pilot by 2010, then increasing
by
maybe 50 MW or more by 2020.

Geothermal

Ref
19

Ref
3, pp.113-121

Ref
3, pp.113-121

Western Geopower and North Pacific Geopower.

Both companies recognized finite potential that
could be harnessed using technology available
in the near future.