Stationary Combustion/
Public Electricity and Heat Production

Emissions from the equipment of public power utilities make it Canada's second-largest IPCC sector. Emissions in this sector have been dropping, despite Canada's rising population, due primarily to a transition away from the use of coal to produce electricity.

The "Public Electricity and Heat Production" IPCC sector refers to companies whose primary business is selling electricity or heat to the grid or the public. Emissions from this sector peaked around year 2000, and have been steadily declining since then due primarily to a reduction in the use of coal for producing electricity.

Google Gemini's assessment of what causes these emissions

  1. Steam Turbines (Thermal Power Plants): a technology in which huge boilers heat water, and high-pressure steam blasts through a massive fan (turbine) to spin a generator. Coal plants are of this type, but any combustible fuel can be used.
  2. Combustion Gas Turbines: a technology in which the expansion of combusting natural gas powers a turbine directly.
    • In Peaker Plants, the hot exhaust is vented, making the plant a relatively simple to construct and providing quick power for peak demand periods.
    • In Combined Cycle Gas Turbines, the hot exhaust is used to drive a second steam turbine, providing a less-responsive, more-efficient electricity-generation process.
  3. Reciprocating Engines: diesel generators are commonly used to power remote communities. Gemini estimates there are roughly 200 such communities in Canada.
  4. District Heating: Some cities, such as Toronto (Enwave) and Vancouver (Creative Energy) have district heating systems powered by huge boilers. The emissions of those boilers are counted in this sector.

How might Canada reduce emissions in this sector to zero?

Critical Success Factors

The arithmetic of this sector is straightforward. To reduce emissions in this sector, we must
  • generate less public electricity and/or public heat, and/or
  • reduce the emissions per unit electricity produced.

Barriers

  • Canada's population is growing, so electricity demand is also growing.
  • Strategies for reducing energy in other sectors often involve using electricity instead of other energy sources
  • Rising economic productivity typically requires more energy use.
  • The infrastructure of public electricity is designed around large centralized plants.
  • Canada exports only modest amounts of electricity. Any reduction in generation probably requires a reduction in consumption.
  • Canada is a northern country with relatively cold temperatures, and relatively little light per unit area, especially in the winter. The heating of buildings is a significant driver of Canada's combustion emissions, and the need for that heating comes at the time of year with the lowest incidence of solar energy.
  • Canada has a wealth of fossil fuel natural resources, and decades of infrastructure to transport them around the country. Oil and natural gas heating is relatively inexpensive, compared to most other countries.

Key Stakeholder Groups

  • CCS Equipment Vendors
  • Domestic Fuel Customers Heating Oil
  • Domestic Fuel Customers Natural Gas
  • Domestic Fuel Vendors Heating Oil
  • Domestic Fuel Vendors Natural Gas
  • Equipment Vendors Gas Turbines
  • Equipment Vendors Steam Boilers
  • Photovoltaic Equipment Vendors
  • Public Electricity Customers
  • Public Electricity Generators Photovoltaic
  • Public Electricity Generators Wind
  • Public Electricity Utilities
  • Public Heat Customers
  • Public Heat Utilities
  • Regulators
  • Voters
  • Wind Turbine Equipment Vendors

Possible Strategies (feel free to help flesh these out, contribute more)

Description Cost / tonne CO2e
Cool buildings with so-called "sky windows" - heat bypasses greenhouse gases
Roof buildings with highly-reflective ultra-white paint
Deploy wind farms in cropland
Deploy wind farms in managed forests
Deploy wind farms in waterways
Convert managed forest to solar farms
Convert cropland to solar farms
Convert water surfaces to solar farms
Convert tidal flows to electricity