Exploring the impacts of carbon pricing on Canada’s electricity sector

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dc.contributor.authorArjmand, Reza
dc.contributor.authorHoyle, Aaron
dc.contributor.authorRhodes, Ekaterina
dc.contributor.authorMcPherson, Madeleine
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-10T17:23:13Z
dc.date.available2024-10-10T17:23:13Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractCanadian provinces are required to regulate their power sectors using carbon pricing systems that meet national minimum stringency standards, which are set by the federal government. A diverse set of systems has emerged as a result. However, there has been limited assessment of how different pricing mechanisms impact the evolution of Canada’s electricity system. To address this gap, we use an electricity system planning model called COPPER and a scenario-based approach to assess if, and to what extent, different policy regimes impact power sector greenhouse gas emissions and costs. Our results show that carbon pricing systems currently in place lead to significant carbon reductions over the long term, provided that free emissions allocations are reduced. However, the cost-optimal pathway for the power sector differs across provinces depending on the carbon pricing mechanism. Some provinces achieve least-cost emissions reductions by switching from high-carbon technologies to renewables, while others are better served by replacing high-carbon technologies with low-carbon fossil fuel alternatives. Further, provinces that implement cap-and-trade systems may affect the transitions of interconnected jurisdictions. Power sector climate policy design should reflect the heterogeneity of available assets, resources, and neighbouring approaches.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelFaculty
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was funded by Mitacs grant number IT14846.
dc.identifier.citationArjmand, R., Hoyle, A., Rhodes, E., & McPherson, M. (2024). Exploring the impacts of carbon pricing on Canada’s electricity sector. Energies, 17(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020385
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/en17020385
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/20567
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherEnergies
dc.rightsAttribution CC BY
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectcap-and-trade
dc.subjectcarbon pricing
dc.subjectCOPPER
dc.subjectelectricity system
dc.subjectelectricity system planning model
dc.subjectoutput-based pricing system
dc.subjectpower sector
dc.titleExploring the impacts of carbon pricing on Canada’s electricity sector
dc.typeArticle

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