Climate Change and the Canadian Hydropower Industry

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Climate Change and the Canadian Hydropower
Industry
Hydropower and Climate Change Workshop Canadian
Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research
Network Winnipeg, March 3, 2006 Pierre
Fortin President Canadian Hydropower Association

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Agenda

• About CHA
• Climate change
• Addressing climate change
• Adapting to climate change

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About CHA

• Founded in 1998
• 40 corporate members producers, manufacturers,
  developers, engineering firms, organizations
• More than 95 of the hydropower capacity in
  Canada
• Advocacy, education promote more hydro

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Climate Change

• A priority issue for our industry (1 of 3)
• Monitoring of status of science on climate
  change evolution, causes, solutions
• Participation in public policy development,
  including involvement in the national climate
  change process and the public debate
• Study on hydropowers potential contribution to
  fighting climate change (1999, 2002)

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Climate Change

• Canadas ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, 2002
• Canadas climate change plan, 2005
• UN Climate Change Conference, Nov. 28- Dec. 9,
  2005

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Climate Change

• Canada is the worlds eighth largest GHG emitter
• 74 of total GHG emissions from fossil fuels
  (2003)
• Emissions keep growing

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector
2001 719.6 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent
Source 2001 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory,
Environment Canada, 2003
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Ways of Addressing Climate Change

• Energy efficiency and conservation
• Renewables sources of energy, including
  hydropower with reservoir

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Lifecycle
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Addressing Climate Change

• Hydropower, a key solution to climate change
• Meeting electricity demand
• Displacing emissions from thermal generation
• Supporting the development of other renewables

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Adapting to Climate Change

• Potential impacts of climate change on hydrology
• Greater variation in flows.
• Flood magnitude and frequency may increase
• Managed water resource systems are likely to be
  less vulnerable to climate change

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Adapting to Climate Change

• Hydropower production can manage variability much
  better than other sectors like agriculture and
  forestry.
• Reservoirs may help Canadians adapt by providing
  
• Flood protection
• Water storage

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The Canadian Hydropower Association
Clean, renewable energy for today and tomorrow