YT NT NU BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NL NS PE
On this page:
- Key Takeaways
- Electricity and Renewable Energy Trends
- Recent and Planned Renewable Electricity and Energy Storage Projects
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the highest shares of renewable electricity generation in Canada, with 97.4% of its electricity coming from renewable sources in 2023—primarily hydroelectricity. The province is home to substantial hydroelectric resources, including the Churchill Falls generating station, one of the largest hydroelectric facilities in North America with a generation capacity of 5,428 megawatts (MW)Footnote 1. Trade is central to the province’s electricity landscape: a significant portion of electricity is exported to Quebec and the Atlantic region through long-term contracts. In 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hydro-Québec proposed new financial terms for the Churchill Falls generation station, whose original contract was set to expire in 2041, plus an upgrade and expansion to the facility. The new agreement is expected to increase provincial revenues and support future energy initiatives, including further renewable development and interprovincial transmissionFootnote 2.
Electricity generation is managed primarily by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, while electricity distribution in most areas is provided by Newfoundland Power. The completion of the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project in 2021 added 824 MW of new capacity, enabling increased exports to Nova Scotia via the Maritime LinkFootnote 3. The related Labrador–Island Link transmission line, which carries power from Labrador to Newfoundland, was commissioned in April 2023.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Newfoundland and Labrador generated 44.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, with 43.1 TWh (97.4%) coming from renewable sources.
- Renewable capacity grew from 6,823 megawatts (MW) in 2010 to 7,655 MW in 2023, a 12.2% increase. Most of this growth came from hydroelectricity (824 MW) and wind (27 MW).
Electricity and Renewable Energy Trends
Newfoundland and Labrador’s electricity mix is dominated by hydroelectricity, which contributed over 42.9 TWh of generation (97% of total generation) in 2023.
Other renewable sources play a marginal role in total generation. In 2023, wind contributed 172.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, or around 0.4% of total generation, and biomass contributed 20.5 GWh, or around 0.05% of total generation.
While the provincial grid is overwhelmingly hydro-based, some communities remain reliant on petroleum-fired generation. 20 remote coastal communities are not connected to the provincial grid and rely on diesel generation to supply them with reliable electricityFootnote 4. On the island of Newfoundland, the oil-fired Holyrood Thermal Generating Station still provides backup capacity. Plans are in place to retire the facility in the 2030s as part of the province’s efforts to reduce emissions, support clean energy development and electrification, and achieve its net zero targets.
Figures 1 and 2 show historical trends in generation and installed capacity, respectively. Figure 2 also includes planned capacity additions for 2024–2030. The planned portion of the figure may be conservative; additional projects could be announced and come online before 2030, and some projects in the outlook might not proceed.
Figure 1: Electricity Generation by Type in Newfoundland and Labrador
Source and Text Alternative
Source: The primary source for electricity generation data comes from Statistics Canada. Table 25-10-0020-01, 25-10-0084-01, and 25-10-0028-01 are combined to display data for all categories and years.
Data: Electricity Generation by Type in Newfoundland and Labrador [XLSX 21 KB]
Text Alternative: This graph illustrates electricity generation from 2010 to 2023 in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2010, Newfoundland and Labrador’s total generation was 41.9 TWh (96.5% renewable). In 2023, total generation was 44.3 TWh (97.4% renewable). Most generation in 2023 came from hydroelectricity (97.0%), petroleum (2.1%), and natural gas (0.6%).
Figure 2: Electricity Capacity and Future Changes in Newfoundland and Labrador
Source and Text Alternative
Source: The primary source for electricity generation capacity data comes from Statistics Canada. Table 25-10-0022-01 and Table 25-10-0023-01 are combined to display data for all of the categories. It is supplemented by additional project-level data for planned capacity from provincial governments, utilities, and system operators, as well as industry associations.
Data: Electricity Capacity and Future Changes in Newfoundland and Labrador [XLSX 20 KB]
Text Alternative: This graph illustrates historical electricity generation capacity from 2010 to 2030 in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2010, the province’s total installed electricity capacity was 7,407 MW (92.1% renewable). In 2023, capacity grew to 8,242 MW (92.9% renewable). In 2030, based on planned capacity additions, capacity reaches 8,392 MW (93.0% renewable).
In 2023, the province had 0.5 MW of distributed solar power capacityFootnote 5.
The province became home to one of Canada’s largest renewable diesel facilities (1,040 million liters per year) in 2024 with Braya Renewable FuelsFootnote 6. However, the facility entered a temporary operations shutdown due to lower margins in 2025.
Recent and Planned Renewable Electricity and Energy Storage Projects
This section highlights renewable electricity and energy storage projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, either recently completed or planned for development between 2025 and 2030. This list is not comprehensive and is based on information available as of September 2025.
- Toqlukuti’k Wind and Hydrogen Project – A wind-to-hydrogen project owned by ABO Wind in partnership with Braya Renewable Fuels and the Miawpukek First Nation, plans to add 5,000 MW of wind capacity to supply green hydrogen for Braya’s biofuels refinery in Come By Chance, with full operationalization planned by 2029Footnote 7.
- Churchill Falls Upgrades – A hydroelectricity project owned by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Hydro Quebec, plans to add 150 MW of hydroelectric capacity, with full operational capacity by 2030. The total project expansion is planned to be 550 MW by 2038Footnote 8.
- Date modified: