Newfoundland and Labrador: Clean electricity snapshot

Overview of electricity in Newfoundland and Labrador

The tremendous power of water and wind that travel the lands of Newfoundland and Labrador are valuable regional assets for hydroelectric and green hydrogen production. The recently completed Maritime Link and is now carrying of the province’s hydro power to other provinces to help them meet their net-zero electricity ambitions. In remote areas of the province, funding from the Government of Canada is helping build clean microgrids to replace diesel fuel generation.

A clean electricity grid can have several benefits

In addition to cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, a clean electricity grid can provide several benefits:

• Independent experts from Clean Energy Canada forecast that the Atlantic provinces will see 99,000 clean energy jobs added in the Atlantic region between 2025 and 2050^{Footnote 1}, providing both economic growth and new job opportunities as the provinces move towards a net-zero economy..
• The Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program is studying ways to connect remote communities through a clean grid and reduce their reliance on diesel.
• Solar panels are now installed in every Nunatsiavut community and provide the community with clean electricity.

Electricity generated

As of 2022, Newfoundland and Labrador had 54.7 megawatts (MW) of wind installed on its grid.

Economic opportunities and key projects

Following the historic investments made in Budget 2023, the Government of Canada has now committed over $40 billion to support the clean electricity sector across Canada, including with below-market financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, grants and contributions such as the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, and a new Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit. These investments being made alongside the Clean Electricity Regulations will help drive significant economic opportunities in the province through the construction of new power sources and retrofitting of existing plants.

A 2023 partnership between Newfoundland and Port of Rotterdam will encourage export of green hydrogen from Newfoundland to Netherlands. The partnership develops potential to bring hydro and wind power to the global marketplace in the form of green hydrogen.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has issued recommendation letters allowing four companies to pursue development of wind-hydrogen facilities on Crown land, which will create jobs and economic opportunities for the province.

A proposed 300 windmill project in central Newfoundland would create 2000 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs. The project would transform wind power to ammonia to be shipped around the world.

In March 2023 the Government of Canada began an 18-month assessment of offshore wind. The deployment of offshore wind will provide an economic boost to the province's marine services industry.

Keeping electricity affordable

The Government of Canada is supporting households with their energy switching with home retrofit programs, zero-emission vehicles purchase incentives and more, to help Canadians save on their energy bills.

Over $40 billion in new Government of Canada measures across Canada to meet the growing demand for clean electricity can minimize future cost impacts being passed down to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that make the switch to a heat pump or an electric/hybrid vehicle come out even further ahead since they will pay less in pollution pricing but still receive the full Climate Action Incentive Payment to help with their energy bills.

The Canada Greener Homes Grant has already helped over 2,400 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians make their homes more energy efficient.

The province’s takeCHARGE energy efficiency rebates in Newfoundland and Labrador has helped 300,000 individual participants and 400 businesses.

The takeCHARGE Oil-To-Electric program will support 10,000 homeowners transition to electric heat.

Recent announcements

In February 2023, the Government of Canada announced $1.7 million to support the Corporate Climate Plan improve energy efficiency in 17 city facilities in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

In June 2022, The Government of Canada invested over $21.6 million in funding to 14 Indigenous communities to help implement clean energy projects with two communities located in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In April 2022, $300 million of federal clean energy funding was directed to the Wah-ila-toos partnership for clean energy projects in Indigenous, rural and remote communities in Canada.

In August 2023, Newfoundland-based Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services (Miawpukek Horizon) and green energy developer, EverWind Fuels (EverWind) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the development of a green fuel transshipment corridor between EverWind’s wind energy based clean hydrogen and ammonia project proposed for Newfoundland and Labrador and its transshipment facility in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.