Renewable energy power storage is successfully being added to the North American grid to keep the lights on, computers running and the electric vehicles charging.

Canada's pension funds possess enormous power. Critics say the speed at which they embrace a transition to a green economy “makes a difference.”

As far as activists are concerned, key investment numbers tell the story of a Canadian banking sector that says one thing publicly but continues to invest in fossil fuels away from the spotlight.

A recent RBC report estimates that in order to catch up and meet its climate targets, Canada will need to invest $70 billion per year into green technologies such as electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, green hydrogen, carbon capture and renewable energy production. As it stands, the country falls well short of that figure, investing just $10 billion annually.

“I had basically made a deal with myself saying, ‘If I get laid off from this job, I'm never working in oil and gas again,’” said Delia Warren, who spent a decade trying to break into the offshore wind industry.

The Ford government has cancelled green energy programs and tried to halt partially built wind farms. But now it’s announcing plans to reduce emissions through a new “hydrogen economy" as a way to boost the economy amid COVID-19.

There are many Canadian clean tech manufacturing and innovation firms, but they have not got the government support they need to achieve stock market status, nor have they acquired private financing of the order of magnitude potential witnessed elsewhere.

As Canada continues to battle COVID-19, calls for a green recovery are growing. "We can use this moment to start building an innovative, sustainable, inclusive and resilient national economy," said Jim Balsillie, chair and co-founder of the Council of Canadian Innovators.

Investing in energy efficiency post pandemic will deliver robust environmental and economic returns and stimulate job creation in the trades and manufacturing sector while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

More than 200 organizations representing more than 2,000 green companies have signed onto Resilient Recovery. “Done right, stimulus and recovery efforts can achieve multiple things,” said Sarah Petrevan, a policy director at Clean Energy Canada.

In the final part of a three-part series, the six candidates vying to become the Liberal Party of Ontario’s next leader tell National Observer their plans for the province's electricity system.

Earlier this month, the Ontario government cancelled the half-built Nation Rise Wind Farm, citing concerns about local bats. The company behind the project says that claim isn’t rooted in science.

Hydro Quebec wants to sell more power to Americans. But that means making changes at home.

Hydro-Québec veut vendre plus d'électricité aux Américains. Mais cela signifie faire des changements au pays.

“This decision directly harms business and private investment in our city, said Keanin Loomis, the president and CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.