Industry Insight
Is Canada Implementing Enough Renewable Energy?
A look at where Canada stands on renewable energy, the role of hydro, wind and solar, and what Ontario homeowners can do through rooftop solar.
A look at where Canada stands on renewable energy, the role of hydro, wind and solar, and what Ontario homeowners can do through rooftop solar.
Renewable energy is moving to the centre of the global energy conversation. Canada already has a strong head start thanks to hydropower, but the question many people ask is whether the country is moving fast enough. Here is a plain-language look at where things stand, and what it means if you live in Ontario.
International climate research, including work summarized by the IPCC and the International Energy Agency, indicates that holding global warming near 1.5 degrees Celsius requires renewables to supply a much larger share of the world's electricity. Solar and wind are expected to account for a large part of that growth. For more on the global outlook, see the International Energy Agency's renewables overview.
In Canada, renewable sources make up a significant share of electricity thanks to hydroelectric dams, which supply the majority of the country's power. But electricity is only part of total energy use. Heating, transportation and industry still rely heavily on fossil fuels, so total renewable energy use is a much smaller share of the whole. Canada can keep building its renewable energy sector to stay on track toward its net-zero goal.
When 2020 began, the director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) called it the start of the "decade of renewables." The reasons are practical: solar and wind systems have become more affordable, demand for clean technology has grown, and utilities and governments are paying closer attention to modernizing the grid.
Hydropower plays a central role in Canada, though many of the dams in North America are decades old and need ongoing investment. Global supply chains also matter. A large portion of the world's solar manufacturing and materials supply, such as silicon, copper, steel and glass, is concentrated in a few countries, which is one reason diversifying supply and building local installation capacity is important.
The Government of Canada has committed funding to smart renewable energy and grid modernization projects, including wind and solar, with the broader aim of cleaner electricity through electrification, grid development and electric transportation. Ontario and Quebec already draw a large share of their power from low-emission sources, and there is growing interest in smart grid technology and in clean energy for remote and off-grid communities.
These figures and programs have evolved since this article was first published in 2021. Update (2026): targets, funding and program names are updated regularly, so use official sources such as Natural Resources Canada and the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) for current numbers about Ontario's grid.
Reasonable people disagree on the pace, but most analysts agree on a few things:
You do not have to wait on national policy to act. Homeowners and businesses can add solar on their own roofs and start generating clean power now. A residential rooftop system reduces how much electricity you buy, and business owners can explore commercial solar for larger roofs. Pairing solar with a battery adds backup power. Terawatt Solar can walk you through the options, starting with a free site assessment. Ready to talk? Contact our team.
