3 - Media Brief on Common Myths + Why are Renewables not Widely Used?

Overview on Renewable Energy

Sector is growing due to the favourable economics of wind and solar, security concerns around oil and gas (wars), and tracking emissions goals

Canada's grid (largely hydropower) is 84% non-emitting

Wind and solar make up 7% of Canada's electricity generation, could rise to 30-33% in a net-zero 2050

Clean electricity regulations will help ensure Canada's renewable energy remains cheap and affordable

Myth 1 - Wind and Solar Contribute Little to Grid, Only Functional when Wind Blows and Sun Shines

Stronger grids and interconnective systems are being developed to meet high energy demand (e.g., smart charging of EVs, industrial demand), affordable storage, and dispatchable power supply

Denmark, EU, and 1/3 of US states making substantial progress in transitioning to wind/solar

Recognized renewables penetration rate of 54% in Canada

Myth 2 - Renewables are Too Expensive, Cost of Energy Storage is Prohibitive

Solar and wind already cost-competitive with natural gas with prices continuing to decline, esp considering LCOE

As costs decrease, infrastructure like storage and increased transmission capacity can be improved upon

80% decline in lithium-ion battery prices over the last ten years, could halve during this decade

Some southern Alberta municipalities receive substantial tax revenue from solar/wind

Myth 3 - The Materials Needed for Solar Panels and Wind Turbines make Renewable Energy Unclean

Studies show that GHGs from renewables (including the manufacturing process) are substantially lower than that of coal and natural gas

Resource extraction + power plant construction + operation + decommissioning + recycling/disposal = renewables emitting less GHG with less variable results

Median GHG life cycle from natural gas is 40x more than wind, 10x more than solar

Myth 4 - Renewables Aren't Clean Because of Equipment Waste

35 years of projected waste from solar panels is still substantially less than that of fossil fuels and other common waste systems

If there was no transition, coal ash and oily sludge waste generated from fossil fuels would be 300-800x larger than that of solar panel waste by 2050

85-90% of mass turbines and panels can be recycled, although most is currently being sent to landfill

Policy tools such as end-of-life regulations, extended producer responsibility, eco-design regulations, labelling and certification, and measurable recovery and recycling targets should be implemented

Rising energy costs, improved recycling technology, and government regulation = improvement in recycling rates

Myth 5 - Renewables are not Ready to be Put Into the World

Solar and wind are well established and readily available

Renewable sources set to contribute 80% of new power capacity worldwide by 2030, solar making up half

Solar global installed capacity to surpass coal by 2027, global spending on solar set to be higher than oil by $10 million in 2030 for net-zero by 2050

On-shore (turbines on land) wind proven, mature technology with an extensive global supply chain

Off-shore (turbines in water) wind to follow, takes advantage of stronger winds at sea

Myth 6 - Renewables Won't Suit Canada Specifically

Canada ranked 2nd for ability to use solar in wind to meet electricity demand

Provincial potential, on-shore wind in Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan, off-shore wind in BC and Ontario, solar in Ontario and the Prairies

Offshore wind can dominate in Atlantic Canada as much as oil in Texas

Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba with large solar potential