{"id":15210,"date":"2023-02-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cleanenergycanada.org\/?p=15210"},"modified":"2023-02-02T00:07:53","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T05:07:53","slug":"solar-and-wind-with-battery-storage-are-set-to-produce-cheaper-electricity-than-natural-gas-in-alberta-and-ontario-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cleanenergycanada.org\/solar-and-wind-with-battery-storage-are-set-to-produce-cheaper-electricity-than-natural-gas-in-alberta-and-ontario-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar and wind with battery storage are set to produce cheaper electricity than natural gas in Alberta and Ontario: report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Feb 2, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OTTAWA \u2014 In Alberta and Ontario, wind can now produce electricity at lower costs than natural-gas-fired power\u2014with even more reductions on the horizon, according to a new report<\/a> from Clean Energy Canada, which was informed by research commissioned from Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even without carbon pricing, wind power is set to be 40% cheaper than gas-fired-power in both provinces by 2030. Solar power, meanwhile, is already cheaper than natural gas power in Alberta and is on track to be 16% less expensive by the end of the decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When battery storage is included, both wind and solar are already cost-competitive in many scenarios. And if gas-fired electricity is subject to Canada\u2019s full carbon price, given its role as a climate-change-causing fossil fuel, the economic case for wind and solar gets even stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The data presented in the new report, A Renewables Powerhouse<\/em><\/a>, is among the first to compare the province-specific costs of these types of electricity in Alberta and Ontario. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With both provinces contemplating adding new natural-gas-fired power to their grids as older coal and nuclear facilities are phased out, this information should help inform decisions about the future of electricity in Canada. Until now, many forecasts used in decision making were made with data that is out of date or from other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, the federal government has committed to creating a net-zero emissions electricity grid by 2035, and the regulations that will support it are currently being drawn up. Because power plants typically operate for decades, decisions made today will have major implications for Canada\u2019s ability to hit this key milestone. And because clean electricity is also needed in other sectors of the economy, a decarbonized grid is also crucial for Canada’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new analysis comes as countries around the world\u2014in Europe in particular\u2014accelerate the move to renewables to insulate themselves from fossil fuel price shocks like the one brought on by the Ukraine war. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report offers a number of recommendations for how provincial and federal governments can maximize the role of clean electricity on Canada’s grids, from greater investment in wind and solar, to providing policy certainty, to supporting the uptake of storage solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEY FACTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n