Green energy in your backyard

Wind turbines and solar panels are marvels of modern energy technology. They’re icons of “green” energy, coating the landscapes in an eerie beauty as they work to harness the power of the natural world.

When you think of renewable energy and how it can fit into your energy mix, you likely think of the examples above. But there’s something just as green flowing through our continent in streams, tributaries and rivers.

People say water and electricity don’t mix, but that’s not entirely true. Manitoba’s energy supply is over 99% renewable - and that’s because it’s mostly hydropower.

With virtually no emissions footprint and a dependable, easily dispatchable and renewable supply of potential energy in our roaring northern rivers, hydropower generation in Manitoba is among the most efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly sources of power on the planet.

Hydropower: a solid foundation for the modern energy mix

Home to the longitudinal centre of Canada, Manitoba is blessed with easy access to power grids across the midwest and enormous reserves of water. Manitoba Hydro’s numerous reservoirs act as batteries, storing potential energy to serve our customers.

Manitoba’s abundance of potential energy has led to over a century of long-lasting hydropower development and innovation in all aspects of the electricity business.

Part of Manitoba Hydro’s annual 34 billion kilowatt-hours of generated electricity flows over transmission lines that connect to over 42 million customers¹ in Canada and the United States, providing access to a secure, dependable, renewable supply of electricity that supplements domestic generation capacity and can help provinces and states reach carbon reduction targets.

With the completion of the Bipole III transmission project this summer and a forward-facing view to future transmission construction, the utility’s ability to move energy south from its generating stations will only increase. This will give Manitoba Hydro the ability to supply even more people across the continent with green energy that both complements and supplements domestic energy supplies.

¹ Manitoba Hydro is a coordinating member of MISO.