The purpose of this paper is to:
- Summarize the best available research on the quantifies of sustainable, low-carbon energy that could plausibly be available to Canada by 2050;
- Review the technology and cost constrains that may arise which the deployment of low-carbon energy sources;
- Idenfity the broader system challenges that will have to be addressed for the successful acceleration of Canada’s non-fossil resources.
To achieve these objectives, we surveyed the literature on a wide spectrum of low-carbon energy supply technologies, with a focus on four questions:
- What quantities of fuel or electricity could be avialble in Canada from each of the major low-carbon sources by 2050, based on today’s technology and supply assessments?
- What are the principal technology options for harvesting the resource?
- What are the technical limitations on the ability to harvest or deploy the resource?
- What information is available about the estimated costs of deploying the various technologies?