Senator Graham has floated a “Clean Energy Standard” in place of a national “Renewable Energy Standard,” as part of his bipartisan effort to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation with Senators Kerry and Lieberman. The provisions would create significant demand for increased use of natural gas, nuclear and carbon capture & storage alongside renewable energy. However, forgotten in this proposed standard is the role that Canadian hydropower plays in the US transition to a low carbon economy.
Hydropower produces 90 times fewer greenhouse gases than coal-fired plants and over 40 times fewer than the least carbon intensive of the thermal generation options, the natural gas combined cycle. Electricity from the Canadian province of Québec alone has contributed to reduce emissions in the Northeast region of the US by approximately 30 Mt of CO2 equivalent, from 2001 to 2008. Canada has plans to bring on significant new sources of hydropower. This energy in large part will be exported to the US utilities. All sources of hydropower energy sold in or to the United States, where such facilities are certified by regulatory authorities to have complied stringent environmental laws should qualify for clean energy standards. There is no doubt that large hydropower has its share of risks, but so do other sources of energy proposed for a clean energy standard and without the same climate benefits and Canadian hydro should not be put at a disadvantage by pending legislation.
Below are some recent statements by public officials on the issue of Canadian hydro.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu
June 30, 2009
"There’s no one solution to the energy crisis, but hydropower is clearly part of the solution and represents a major opportunity to create more clean energy jobs."
Phillip Moeller; FERC Commissioner
July 29, 2009
"The world won’t get to where it wants to go on carbon emissions without hydropower. (…) I think this is the most exciting but also critical time in energy policy in our lifetime. (…) If hydropower isn’t recognized, we’ll regret it for decades. The time is now."
Central Vermont Power Service (CVPS) President Bob Young and Green Mountain Power (GMP) President Mary Powell
March 11, 2010
"This agreement (between CVPS, GMP and HQ Energy Services [US]) sets the stage for a new contract that will help us maintain what is arguably the cleanest power supply in the nation, while ensuring a relatively stable and affordable future for our customers."
1 McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP represents Canadian Hydropower interests.