Enabling Sustainable Growth
WORKING FOR TODAY, PLANNING FOR TOMORROW
The Clean Energy Imperative
As our region and country advance plans to decarbonize and achieve net-zero targets, Hydro – as Newfoundland and Labrador’s Crown utility and primary producer of electricity – is well-positioned to take a lead role in supporting the energy transition.
More than 91 percent of the energy that Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro supplied to the province in 2022 was from renewable sources. And, as we fully integrate the Muskrat Falls Generating Station and Labrador Island Link in the province’s electricity system, that share of clean energy will be even greater into the future. In addition, we produced more than 33 TWh of clean energy that was supplied to customers in other jurisdictions.
While we currently enjoy an enviable position with the large percentage of renewable electricity we utilize, we must also think about the future and the emerging long-term requirements for our electricity system – requirements that will demand new reliable and renewable sources of electricity. Industrial development, electrification of homes and businesses, growth in Electric Vehicle ownership and electrification of other sectors will all drive demand for renewable energy (globally and right here at home) and additional renewable electricity supply will be needed in the not-too-distant future. Decisions are needed today and Hydro is laying the foundation for those decisions.
The Future is Here
Hydro remains focused on providing electricity safely and reliably to customers today, while also seeking new opportunities to leverage our renewable energy resources to benefit the people of Newfoundland and Labrador into the future.
In Canada, and globally, the quest for increasing amounts of renewable electricity to meet growing demand is intensifying, and will continue to do so over the coming decades. To help contribute to national net-zero targets, Newfoundland and Labrador will need an estimated 1,800 MW of additional renewable electricity supply by 2050. To put that in perspective, the province’s current energy demand is approximately 2,200 MW in total.
The time to make decisions on supplying the future is now. Hydro will continue to bring our deep experience and expertise to bear in order to support the sustainable development of Newfoundland and Labrador’s rich renewable energy resources, to maximize value for the people of the province and support economic prosperity in our communities.
We are conducting detailed analyses to thoughtfully and thoroughly plan for Newfoundland and Labrador’s future energy supply needs. In 2022, Hydro continued to advance our Reliability and Resource Adequacy study with our regulator and intervenors, to assess system needs and determine our long-term approach to providing least-cost, reliable service.
It includes looking at opportunities to unlock untapped sources of renewable energy in our own backyard. One project being assessed is expansion of the Bay d’Espoir hydroelectric development by adding an eighth generating unit, which has long been considered a favourable option for adding capacity to the island grid. It would provide an additional 154 MW of capacity and support the expanding demand for electricity in the province.
Enabling the Renewable Energy Shift
- Hydro continues to enable EV use in Newfoundland and Labrador through the development and expansion of a provincial fast charging network. Usage of Hydro’s EV fast-charging stations increased almost three-fold in 2022. EVs use Hydro’s abundant clean energy.
- Last year, more than 1,400 homes were converted from oil to electric heat through a rebate program that Hydro administers on behalf of the Provincial Government. The program is being expanded starting in 2023 and will help approximately 10,000 more homes over the next four years transition from oil to electric heat. New electricity supply will be needed to serve continued home electrification.
- Through the takeCHARGE program, residential and commercial customers in Newfoundland and Labrador achieved 1,718 MWh of energy savings in 2022, exceeding the annual target. Conservation and demand management is a critical option available in serving customers with clean electricity.
Our Employees Harness Energy Opportunities
It’s an exciting time to work in the utility industry and in particular at Hydro as stakeholders show an unprecedented level of interest in our provincial renewable energy resources. Our employees feel proud of the work they do and how it contributes to our province’s success. Our employees have the unique opportunity to directly advance this global energy transition – opportunities which exist across many aspects of our operations.
To support a clean energy world, we already manage some amazing assets – one of the largest hydro plants in the world at Churchill Falls and one of the newest plants in Canada with Muskrat Falls. Our people are working on other interesting and crucial projects to advance clean energy priorities, including:
- developing programs that will enable the electrification of our transportation system,
- working with communities to increase the amount of privately owned renewable energy sources like solar and wind, and
- planning for major clean electricity projects necessary to decarbonize Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy.
Paving the way for EVs
At Hydro, we’re helping more and more electric vehicle drivers get rolling, with the province’s expanding network of fast chargers — including the first chargers in Labrador installed in 2022.
The power of planning
Read the 2022 update to our Reliability and Resource Adequacy Study. To meet customer needs, we have completed a resource plan considering a range of possible scenarios over a ten-year planning horizon—covering the period from 2023 through 2032.
Solar powered centres in northern Labrador
Read more about how Nunatsiavut communities are integrating renewable energy into their electricity systems.