We are co-creating an innovative, made-in-Canada energy storage transformation for the North and the South.
The challenge
To mitigate climate change and address social inequality, energy systems need to be re-envisioned.
Canada has vast renewable energy capacity yet remains deeply reliant on fossil fuels. One key barrier to the expansion of renewable sources is a lack of seasonal storage: our renewable energy supply is six months out of sync with demand. Storing the excess summer-generated renewable energy for use in winter is a grand challenge, which can be addressed with gridscale conversion of renewable electricity into storable fuels.
But transformations in the energy sector are often driven by technological innovation, and technological fixes often have negative spillover effects. Negative social and environmental consequences are often considered only after technologies are deployed. We are changing that model.
With attention to the environmental and social trade-offs that accompany energy production, CANSTOREnergy will integrate policy, community engagement, and ownership models to steer technological development.
The approach
The project will deliberately focus on two very different regions – Yukon and the southern Ontario city of Hamilton – in recognition that there is no one-size-fits-all approach in a vast country like Canada.
The project’s two sites highlight the different challenges Canadian regions face when considering how carbon conversion technologies might be adapted to existing infrastructure, economic forces and social goals.
The Yukon, for example, is not included in the electrical grid that connects much of the U.S. and Canada, and seasonal extremes limit the availability of renewable energy. As a result, some communities need to import diesel fuel during the harsh winter months – which comes at a high cost both environmentally and financially.
Hamilton, by contrast, is a densely populated urban centre that is plugged into the main North American power grid. Heavy industry is part of the local economy, but the environmental costs, such as air pollution, are unevenly distributed and disproportionately impact low-income and marginalized communities.
At the core of the project is a commitment to engaging community members about their energy challenges and goals, and to determine if and how carbon conversion technologies might fit into their future.
The Impact
This high-risk, high-reward project will create a roadmap towards energy independence in the North, and displace fossil-fuel usage in transportation and industry in the South.
The CANSTOREnergy research team is motivated by the opportunity to reduce fossil fuels use, to consider the diverse needs and goals of both urban and rural communities, and for Canada to lead in a transformation of the energy system with economic benefits nationally and climate benefits globally—a made-in-Canada renewable energy storage solution that considers local concerns and displaces fossil fuel use. CANSTOREnergy is shaped and supported by foresight and clarity on the community, energy and carbon costs and benefits of such a significant shift.