Atlantic Canada got an early start using hydro.
It has been an important part of the energy system here for over 100 years. Existing hydroelectric infrastructure provides an affordable and reliable supply of energy so we can continue to add more variable sources of energy like wind and solar onto our grids as our population grows and there is more need for power!
You may be thinking, “Why aren’t we building more hydroelectric generating facilities, then?”
It’s because in provinces like Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, resources are limited (we’ve built as many as we can already). In New Brunswick, hydropower provides a significant amount of baseload energy to the grid, and Newfoundland and Labrador produce so much hydropower that they export significant amounts to Quebec and Nova Scotia.
As we work on creating a cleaner and greener power grid, it’s important that we harness the power of water, like the generations that came before us!