Canadian Hydropower

Canada is the third largest producer of hydropower in the world behind only China and Brazil. Its hydro infrastructure is spread from coast to coast to coast and accounts for about 60 per cent of all the electricity generated in Canada.

Created by the Canadian Hydropower Association and Canadian Geographic, the Canadian Hydropower Interactive Map allows you to explore the awesome power of Canada’s hydro infrastructure. You can see the location of almost every Canadian hydro dam and generating station, what utility runs them, their size and the transmission network that connects them to you.

It’s important for Canadians to understand how large a role hydroelectricity plays in their everyday lives. This map affords all Canadians the chance to learn about hydropower infrastructure near them and across the country. It also reminds Canadians about the country's abundance of hydropower sites. Climate Change has leaders and scientists around the world searching for clean and renewable electricity generation. Because hydroelectricity has existed for more than a century, there can often be a misconception that hydro resources are maxed out. Though that may be true in some countries, Canada is not even close to its full hydropower potential.

Canada currently has an installed capacity of about 78,000 megawatts and has the ability to more than double that to 160,000 megawatts, which is good news considering that both Canada and the United States are looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions to meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. With 66 per cent of U.S. electricity still being generated from coal and gas powered thermal plants, Canada’s clean, renewable hydropower is an increasingly attractive option for border states. In fact, Canada is already a net exporter of electricity to the U.S. and plans for increasing its exports south of the border are underway.

Canada’s hydropower story is fascinating. The Canadian Hydropower Association and Canadian Geographic invite you to use this map as a tool to explore that story and learn about one of Canada’s greatest resources.