Electricity Sector in Canada

The electricity sector in Canada has played a significant role in the economic and political life of the country since the late 19th century. The sector is organized along provincial and territorial lines. In a majority of provinces, large government-owned integrated public utilities play a leading role in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. Ontario and Alberta have created electricity markets in the last decade in order to increase investment and competition in this sector of the economy.

Canada is the world's second-largest producer of hydroelectricity, which accounted for 58% of all electric generation in 2007. Since 1960, large hydroelectric projects, especially in Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador, have significantly increased the country's generation capacity. In Ontario, Canadian-designed CANDU nuclear reactors supplied more than half the provincial electricity demand in 2007.

Canadian homes, offices and factories are large users of electricity, or hydro, as it is often called in Canada. In 2007, Canadian per capita power consumption was among the highest in the world, with an average of 16,995 kilowatt-hours per annum.