CANADIAN OIL MARKETS
panels continue to improve in efficiency , as do wind turbines . Major solar farms are planned for Sault Ste . Marie and Kingston , Ontario , and existing wind farms are expanding all over the central plains .
There are a few clouds on the renewable energy horizon , however . First , the drop in fossil fuel prices makes it even harder for expensive solar , wind and other renewable technologies to compete . If gas and coal power plants can produce at less than $ 0.04 per kilowatthour , renewable energies will be stuck depending on government subsidies for the foreseeable future .
Second , political support for renewable energy may not be enough to keep those crucial subsidies in place . Japan and the European Union have previously filed complaints against Canadian green energy incentives at the World Trade Organization , arguing the plans violate free-trade rules . Though some of those cases have lost , others have succeeded and forced Canadian provinces to retool their incentive structures . If other trading partners jump on the bandwagon , growth in solar and wind energy will be difficult to sustain .
Conclusion The Canadian energy market remains a mixed bag , with some sectors looking very promising in the mid-term timeframe and others looking bleak . As always , the flow of political currents will dictate the success or failure of some critical sectors . However , in the big picture , dependence on fossil fuel make oil and gas the most reliable bets in the energy world .
13