CHA Calls for Incentives on Hydropower Capacity

- Canadian Hydropower Association President Al Snyder called for appropriate incentives for the development of new hydropower facilities, which provide a renewable and clean source of energy that can meet demand and ensure energy security for Canadians while addressing members of the Quebec Electricity Association.

The Canadian Hydropower Association (CHA) is the national association dedicated to representing the interests of the hydropower industry.

The CHA President said that very few hydropower projects have been developed over the past twelve years in Canada. This is due, in part, to insufficient harmonization between provincial/ territorial and federal environmental assessment processes, the timing and requirements of the environmental assessment process, and uncertainty regarding its outcome.

A low emitting source of electricity, hydropower can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while meeting electricity demand.

Snyder said that hydropower produces 60 times fewer greenhouse gases emissions than coal-fired power plants and 18-30 times fewer than natural-gas power plants.

In addition, hydropower's operational flexibility makes it a good source of electricity to support the development of other renewables such as wind energy.

"Despite the obvious environmental and technical advantages of hydro, it is much longer and more difficult to obtain the go-ahead for a hydro plant than for a thermal plant," said Snyder. "As electricity demand is expected to continue growing over the coming decade, even with new and effective energy conservation measures, we must continue developing low emitting sources of electricity if we are serious about addressing climate change and air pollution."

To ensure the development of new hydropower capacity, the Canadian Hydropower Association calls for appropriate incentives such as emissions credits for new hydropower development, appropriate price signals and streamlined environmental assessments.

The utility said that these measures are necessary to ensure the continued development of Canada's only large scale renewable and low- emitting source of electricity.