Renewable Energy in Manitoba: 15 Facts

Renewable Energy in Manitoba: 15 Facts

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manitoba renewable energy facts and statistics

Did you know that Manitoba is a renewable energy powerhouse? Located on the brim of Western Canada, Manitoba’s vast wealth of freshwater lakes, rivers and streams has allowed the province to develop vast hydropower capacity over the years.

Today, Manitoba gets nearly all of its electricity needs from renewable energy, namely hydro. And what power it doesn’t use is exported to other jurisdictions on both sides of the border, generating billions of dollars in revenues for the provincial government and reducing emissions by displacing more GHG-intensive forms of power [2].

All Canadians can and should be proud of Manitoba’s renewable energy leadership. We sure are, which is why we have compiled as many facts on renewable energy in Manitoba as possible for you to check out below! Also see:

15 Manitoba Renewable Energy Facts

#1 - Manitoba currently gets 99.9% of its electricity from renewable sources such as hydro, wind and biomass [1]

#2 - Today, Manitoba has more than a century of experience in producing renewable energy [3]

#3 - In 2019, approximately 97% of Manitoba’s power generation was derived from hydroelectricity [1]

#4 - Manitoba is home to 15 hydro stations [5]

#5 - In 2019, Manitoba generated 33.9 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, accounting for approximately 5% of total Canadian generation [1]

#6 - Manitoba has an estimated generating capacity of 6,100 megawatts (MW), nearly all of which comes from hydro sources [1]

#7 - Wind energy accounted for 873 gigawatt-hours (GWh), or 2.8% of Manitoba’s total energy production in 2018 [5]

#8 - Due to its renewable energy supply, Manitoba emits less than 0.1 MT of CO2e emissions from electricity generation, or just 0.1% of total Canadian GHG emissions from power generation [1]

#9 - Manitoba’s electricity generation is some of the least carbon-intensive in North America at just 1.3 tonnes of CO2 per GWh compared to 144 tonnes of CO2/GWh for the average Canadian utility and 473 tonnes of CO2/GWh for the average American utility [3]

#10 - Manitoba has managed to decrease its emissions intensity of electricity generation from 26 grams (g) of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour (CO2e/KWh) in 1990 down to just 1.1g of CO2e/KWh in 2020 [1]

#11 - From 2010 to 2019, Manitoba generated $3.9 billion from its power exports, accounting for approximately 22% of its total electric revenues [2]

#12 - In 2018, Manitoba exported approximately 17% of its electricity to the U.S. where it displaces coal-fired power generation that dominates the U.S. Midwest [5]

#13 - Without its export sales, electricity rates for Manitobans would be about 20% higher than they are today [2]

#14 - 1Between 2010 and 2017, Manitoba added a net 455 MW of renewable capacity, primarily in the form of hydro (296 MW) [5]

#15 - Between 2017 and 2023, Manitoba is projected to add 746 MW of new net renewable capacity [5]

Manitoba’s Renewable Energy Strategy

Despite already being a renewable energy leader with one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, Manitoba plans to continue building on its success for an even greener energy future.

The province’s clean energy strategy focuses on made-in-Manitoba solutions to harness water, wind, solar and biomass resources in ways that can provide electricity to power society. This plan has also become a major cornerstone of Manitoba’s economy; new hydroelectric generation and transmission lines require $20 billion of investment over the next decade.

If approved, these projects will create thousands of jobs while providing Manitobans, Canadians and Americans with reliable, sustainable and affordable power well into the future.

Manitoba also plans on adding more wind power as economics will allow, promoting geothermal, biomass and solar for heating needs and developing biobased fuels from crops all the while leading in new cutting-edge electric transportation solutions.

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SOURCES:

1 – Canada Energy Regulator (2020, May 6). Provincial/territorial energy profiles - Manitoba. Retrieved from https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles-manitoba.html Date Accessed: 5/6/2023

2 – Hydro Manitoba (2020). Why we export power. Retrieved from https://www.hydro.mb.ca/articles/2020/03/why_we_export_power/. Date Accessed: 5/6/2023

3 – Hydro Manitoba (2019). Climate Change Strategy 2019. Retrieved from https://www.hydro.mb.ca/environment/pdf/climate-change-strategy-2019.pdf Date Accessed: 5/6/2023

4 – Government of Manitoba (n.d.). Clean energy in Manitoba: Renewable electricity and energy efficiency programs and initiatives for Manitobans and businesses . Retrieved from https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/environment_and_biodiversity/energy/cleanenergy.html Date Accessed:

5 - Canada Energy Regulator. (2021, September 8). Renewable power in Manitoba [Report]. Retrieved from https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-commodities/electricity/report/canadas-renewable-power/provinces/renewable-power-canada-manitoba.html. Date Accessed: November 29, 2021.