| TOC | What are Green Power Technologies? >>

WHAT TO KNOW

What is Green Power?

Green Power encompasses a range of environmentally friendly alternatives to the traditional sources of electricity generation in Canada. There are two key criteria for Green Power: it must be generated from renewable resources and it must have minimal impact on the environment.

Recent opinion polls show that an overwhelming majority of Canadians support the use of Green Power as a source of electricity. To most people, that means more wind turbines, solar cells and hydro-electricity. However, there is no consensus about what is and what isn't Green Power. For some, it is anything that isn't "brown power", meaning any technology that does not involve burning coal or other fossil fuels. Proponents of nuclear power, for example, cite low air pollution and carbon emissions to support its inclusion in the Green Power sector. Nuclear power is not included here because it uses uranium, a non-renewable resource. The nuclear waste remains a potential health, safety and security hazard for thousands of years and we do not have a permanent nuclear waste disposal site.

While the main focus of this guide is on Green Power used to generate electricity, there are a few examples illustrating how low-impact renewables that generate heat can displace the need for conventional electricity, where it has been used to heat buildings or water.

The Consumers' Guide defines Green Power using the criteria set by Environment Canada's Environmental Choice Program, which gives EcoLogo certification to Alternative Source Energy Generation from natural sources, such as wind and sun, as well as low-impact technologies, including small-scale hydro, certain biomass and biogas technologies, and geothermal energy. With continuing research into new and cleaner energy technologies, these criteria may be subject to review and revision. For details on the various methods of generating Green Power, see What are Green Power Technologies.

Back To Top