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Canada’s Electricity Demand Is Rising Rapidly
Canada’s clean energy transition is entering a decisive phase. Electricity demand is projected to increase two to threefold by 2050 as transportation, buildings, and industry electrify, and new markets such as data centres and green fuel production emerge. Meeting this demand will require a significant expansion of clean electricity supply and enabling infrastructure.“Canada’s electricity demand is rising rapidly, and the global race for clean energy investment is accelerating. Marine renewable energy is no longer a future possibility — it is a strategic opportunity Canada must act on now,” said Elisa Obermann, Executive Director of Marine Renewables Canada. “This Vision shows how tidal, offshore wind, wave, and river current energy can strengthen our power systems, support reconciliation, and deliver long-term economic and climate benefits.”With vast coastlines, strong winds, and some of the most powerful tides in the world, Canada is among the most abundant marine renewable jurisdictions globally. Marine renewable energy offers small-scale and large-scale predictable, reliable clean power that can strengthen grid resilience, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and support economic development across coastal, rural, northern, and Indigenous communities.
Our Vision
By 2050, this Vision sees marine renewable energy as a key pillar of Canada’s clean energy transition – supporting climate action, strengthening energy systems, and fostering resilient communities and sustainable economic growth. This means:- Global leadership in tidal energy, with more than 1 GW of installed capacity across large- and small-scale projects, and Canadian companies leading internationally in technology, environmental monitoring, and deployment expertise.
- An established offshore wind market, with more than 30 GW of capacity deployed or under construction nationwide, supporting domestic electricity demand, industrial electrification, data centres, clean fuel production, and offshore decarbonization.
- Wave energy as a viable component of the clean energy system, with over 50 MW installed nationwide, including Canada’s first grid-connected wave energy array supplying Vancouver Island.
- Marine renewable energy powering remote communities and ocean industries, with more than 50 communities and remote industrial sites achieving meaningful diesel displacement, improved affordability, and greater energy sovereignty.
- Reliable, predictable, and integrated marine generation that supports baseload needs, optimizes energy storage, and helps balance variability across Canada’s net-zero electricity grid.
Building on Momentum Already Underway
Canada has already made important progress. Tidal energy demonstrations in Nova Scotia and British Columbia, Indigenous-led community projects, and the establishment of a joint federal–provincial offshore wind regulatory framework have laid critical foundations. Nova Scotia’s Wind West Atlantic Energy initiative, identifying more than 60 GW of offshore wind potential for local use and export opportunities, underscores the scale of opportunity and the importance of strengthened interregional transmission. However, the Vision makes clear that scaling marine renewables to their full potential will require coordinated action to address persistent barriers, including regulatory uncertainty, limited transmission and port infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and access to long-term financing.“The Vision is clear that Canada already has the resources and technical expertise to scale marine renewable energy – what’s needed now is policy certainty,” said Jonathan Robinson, Senior Policy Advisor at Marine Renewables Canada. “There are 14 practical actions governments can take today, from interprovincial transmission to streamlined approvals, that will unlock private capital and accelerate deployment.”
