From September 2025 through August 2026, about 79% of Canada’s electricity came from low-carbon sources, while 21% came from fossil fuels. Hydropower supplied more than half of electricity, at roughly 56%, followed by nuclear at 12% and wind at 8%. Biofuels contributed around 2% and solar about 1%. On the fossil side, gas supplied nearly 18% and coal just over 2%. Canada therefore has a strong clean electricity foundation, but replacing the remaining fossil generation would further reduce climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Canada?

Canada’s latest figures show electricity consumption per person well below its historical peak, although these comparisons alone do not establish whether total national consumption is currently growing. In 2026, consumption stood at about 16,000 kWh per person, around 3,600 kWh—or 18%—below the record set in 2000. Low-carbon electricity generation reached about 12,600 kWh per person, roughly 2,600 kWh—or 17%—below its 1996 record. These shortfalls are concerning: Canada needs renewed growth in clean electricity to support electrification, industry and rising demand from AI.

Suggestions

Canada can increase low-carbon electricity generation by expanding its existing nuclear fleet and accelerating solar and wind deployment. France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of electricity, and Finland, where it supplies more than a third, offer useful examples of nuclear’s substantial contribution. Nearby examples include the US states of Illinois and New Hampshire, where nuclear generates around half of electricity. For wind, Canada can learn from climatically relevant regions such as Sweden and Finland, both at about 25%, and the US state of North Dakota, at 36%. Solar also has considerable room to grow from Canada’s current 1% share: the US state of Maine generates about 19% of its electricity from solar, while Germany reaches 21%. These examples support a practical strategy combining more nuclear, solar and wind with Canada’s substantial hydropower foundation.

History

Canada’s low-carbon electricity history features major expansions alongside substantial annual fluctuations. Hydropower increased by roughly 15 TWh in both 1978 and 1981, followed by gains of about 20 TWh in 1984 and 18 TWh in 1985, before falling 16 TWh in 1989. Nuclear delivered strong growth in 1993 and 1994, adding about 13–14 TWh each year. Hydropower then rose almost 20 TWh in 1996, fell 19 TWh in 1998 and recovered 14 TWh in 1999. The 2000s brought a 25 TWh hydro decline in 2001, followed by gains of 17 TWh in 2002, 21 TWh in 2005 and 15 TWh in 2007; nuclear also added roughly 16 TWh in 2004. Hydro fell 17 TWh in 2010 before rebounding 24 TWh in 2011. More recently, a 15 TWh gain in 2022 was followed by disappointing losses of nearly 37 TWh in 2023 and 14 TWh in 2024, underscoring the importance of sustained expansion across Canada’s clean electricity sources.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.