Backgrounder

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Electricity Sector 

Canada boasts one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world with three-quarters of our electricity supply emitting no greenhouse gases.

Although our electricity system is already one of the cleanest in the world, our government is taking another step towards developing an even cleaner electricity grid.

On August 19, 2011 Environment Canada released the text of the proposed regulations to reduce emissions from the coal-fired electricity sector.

The gradual phase-out of traditional coal-units is expected to have a significant impact on reducing emissions from the coal-fired electricity generation sector.

The proposed regulations apply a stringent performance standard to new coal-fired electricity generation units and those coal-fired units that have reached the end of their economic life. 

The standard will be based on parity with the emissions performance of high-efficiency natural gas generation. The standard will promote the replacement of coal-fired units that are reaching the end of their economic life, and will encourage investment in cleaner generation technologies, such as high efficiency natural gas generation and renewable energy, as well as the use of carbon capture and storage.

These proposed regulations, in addition to other measures taken by federal and provincial governments and utilities to reduce electricity emissions from coal and other sources, are projected to result in a decline in the absolute level of GHG emissions from electricity generation by 31 megatonnes between 2005 and 2020.

These regulations will ensure Canada remains a world leader in clean electricity generation.