Northern Lights: Access to Electricity in Canada's Northern and Remote Communities

Abstract

Access to energy in many of the world's remote communities is still restricted; these locations only have access to simple and inexpensive local energy sources, such as biomass for cooking and kerosene lamps or candles for lighting. The World Bank and the International Energy Agency (IEA) perceive this energy deficit as a major obstacle to achieving community economic development as well as to obtaining adequate access to health services and clean water. Electricity is a flexible, modern source of energy that is considered to be one of the principal driving forces that stimulate community development and access to basic services in remote locations. Governments, private institutions, and nongovernmental organizations have gradually recognized these energy needs and have established electrification programs at the national and regional levels that aim at the gradual electrification of remote locations. The main objective is to give the reader a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities with regard to electricity generation in Canada's N&RCs beased on their use of renewable energy (RE) alternatives.