Report States that Demand for Land Continues to Hinder Transition to Renewable Energy
A new report from the Fraser Institute highlights a non-financial consideration in Canada’s shift towards renewable energy: the significant amount of land required compared to other energy sources like natural gas.
Despite the decreasing costs of renewable energy sources, the challenge of land consumption for wind and solar power generation remains a major obstacle.
Author Kenneth P. Green, a senior fellow with the Institute, pointed out that in 2010, renewable energies produced 525 GW of power but consumed 398,000 square kilometers of land, contrasting with natural gas power production which generated 3.53 Terawatts of power while only requiring 1,800 square kilometers of land.
Green also highlighted the need for more mining to extract the materials necessary for the transition to renewable energy. Wind turbines rely on materials like iron ore, cement, and non-recyclable plastic, while solar hardware requires even more steel, glass, and concrete.
Green warned that the mining industry will need to expand to meet the demand, further disrupting land in the process.
He also noted that transitioning to sources with lower Energy Return on Investment could lead to economic decline, as renewable sources offer lower levels of electricity per unit cost.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government introduced Clean Electricity Regulations legislation aiming for net-zero emissions by 2035, with updates made to enhance flexibility for provincial operators while maintaining emissions reduction goals.
A final draft of the regulations is expected later this year.
