Coal has, for the longest time, been a big player in the energy industry. Unfortunately, the production of coal has a devastating effect on the environment. The adverse effects of coke on the environment come about due to the emission of excessive greenhouse gases. The production of coal has also resulted in the cutting down millions of trees which have in turn wreaked havoc.
The latter has ended up disrupting countless ecosystems. And it is for the following reasons that Canada has decided to get rid of the production of coal by 2030. Below are some of the ways the country plans to phase out the use of coal in the next decade:
Increasing the production of hydropower
Hydro-produced electricity is arguably the most common source of heat in the world. The same has also been used to power up provinces such as Quebec for decades. Hydropower accounts for up to 95% of the energy generated in Quebec, which is nothing short of impressive. The same also seems to be the case in Newfoundland and Labrador.
That said, the Canadian government is hell-bent on increasing hydroelectricity plants, taking advantage of the many rivers in the country. Doing so will not only make the goal of completely phasing out of coal production by 2030 more realistic but also create new employment opportunities across Canada.
Today, the power generated through water per province is as follows: Alberta (7%), Ontario (Less Than 9.5%), Saskatchewan (3%), British Columbia (1%), Yukon (1%), Quebec (4%), Northwest Territories (1%), Nunavut (0%), Newfoundland and Labrador (1%), New Brunswick, (6%), Manitoba (2%), and Nova Scotia (11%).
Wind energy
Even though wind energy isn’t as prominent in Canada as hydropower, it still has a great potential to grow. The Canadian government plans on capitalizing on wind energy in their quest to completely phase out the production of coal and coke. Today, wind energy consists of about 7% of the electricity rates in Alberta alone. Coal, which contributes up to 47% of the total electricity output in Alberta, is projected to reduce.
This will happen once the Canadian government starts implementing its goal to increase the number of windmills all over the country. The percentage of electricity produced by mills per province is as follows: Ontario (Less Than 9.5%), Saskatchewan (3%), British Columbia (1%), Yukon (1%), Quebec (4%), Northwest Territories (1%), Nunavut (0%), Newfoundland and Labrador (1%), New Brunswick, (6%), Manitoba (2%), and Nova Scotia (11%).
Nuclear energy
Nuclear energy is also another potential source of energy that the Canadian government is planning on utilizing to the maximum. Today, nuclear power is responsible for about 23.3% of the total electricity output in Ontario. So, for the Canadian government to be successful in their ultimate goal to eliminate coal, the government plans to add a few more nuclear plants to increase electricity production on the country.
Below are the current percentages of nuclear energy production per province: Alberta (0%), Ontario (23.3%), Saskatchewan (0%), British Columbia (0%), Yukon (0%), Quebec (4%), Northwest Territories (1%), Nunavut (0%), Newfoundland and Labrador (0%), New Brunswick, (6%), Manitoba (0%), and Nova Scotia (0%).
Biomass
Biomass is the second biggest producer of Canadian electricity. Despite being used in small proportions, at least every Canadian province has a biomass power plant. The latter is why the Canadian government has plans to increase the number of biomass plants all over the country in a bid to fill in the gap that coal-generated electricity would’ve left.
The percentage of biomass currently produced per province is as follows: Alberta (3%), Ontario (0%), Saskatchewan (more than 1%), British Columbia (9%), Yukon (0%), Quebec (1%), Northwest Territories (0%), Nunavut (0%), Newfoundland and Labrador (1%), New Brunswick, (3%), Manitoba (1%), and Nova Scotia (2%).
Natural gas
Just like biomass, natural gas is yet another option the Canadian government is working currently working on. The following percentages represent the amount of electricity produced by of natural gas per Canadian province: Alberta (40%), Ontario (8.2%), Saskatchewan (34%), British Columbia (1%), Yukon (1%), Quebec (1%), Northwest Territories (13%), Nunavut (0%), Newfoundland and Labrador (2%), New Brunswick, (15%), Manitoba (1%), and Nova Scotia (13%).
Conclusion
Phasing out the use of coal entirely is, without a doubt, a daunting task. Thankfully, the Canadian government has the mechanisms in place to ensure that the goal is achieved come the year 2030. They are already working on strategies to increase the production of other sources of green energy.
These alternative sources of green energy include biomass, solar, geothermal, wind. The Canadian government is already planning to maximize power production on every existing green energy plants. They’ll do this by either expanding them or adding a few others in each province. America also has the capacity of doing the same.
Besides having the human resource, Americans also have the technology to back the goal up. But the latter is entirely up to the young adults to decide because they are the ones who are the proverbial leaders of tomorrow.
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