Marine Renewables Canada (MRC) released the Marine Renewable Energy Sector Vision 2050, a national roadmap outlining how offshore wind, tidal, wave, and river current energy can help meet Canada’s rapidly growing electricity demand while strengthening affordability, reliability, and energy security.
Canada’s Electricity Demand Is Rising Rapidly
Canada’s clean energy transition is entering a decisive phase. Electricity demand is projected to increase two to threefold by 2050 as transportation, buildings, and industry electrify, and new markets such as data centers and green fuel production emerge. Meeting this demand will require a significant expansion of clean electricity supply and enabling infrastructure.
“Canada’s electricity demand is rising rapidly, and the global race for clean energy investment is accelerating. Marine renewable energy is no longer a future possibility—it is a strategic opportunity Canada must act on now,” said Elisa Obermann, Executive Director of Marine Renewables Canada. “This Vision shows how tidal, offshore wind, wave, and river current energy can strengthen our power systems, support reconciliation, and deliver long-term economic and climate benefits.”
With vast coastlines, strong winds, and some of the most powerful tides in the world, Canada is among the most abundant marine renewable jurisdictions globally. Marine renewable energy offers small-scale and large-scale, predictable, reliable, clean power that can strengthen grid resilience, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and support economic development across coastal, rural, northern, and Indigenous communities.
The Vision
By 2050, this Vision sees marine renewable energy as a key pillar of Canada’s clean energy transition—supporting climate action, strengthening energy systems, and fostering resilient communities and sustainable economic growth.
This means:
- Global leadership in tidal energy, with more than 1 GW of installed capacity across large- and small-scale projects, and Canadian companies leading internationally in technology, environmental monitoring, and deployment expertise.
- An established offshore wind market, with more than 30 GW of capacity deployed or under construction nationwide, supporting domestic electricity demand, industrial electrification, data centers, clean fuel production, and offshore decarbonization.
- Wave energy is a viable component of the clean energy system, with over 50 MW installed nationwide, including Canada’s first grid-connected wave energy array supplying Vancouver Island.
- Marine renewable energy is powering remote communities and ocean industries, with more than 50 communities and remote industrial sites achieving meaningful diesel displacement, improved affordability, and greater energy sovereignty.
- Reliable, predictable, and integrated marine generation that supports baseload needs, optimizes energy storage, and helps balance variability across Canada’s net-zero electricity grid.
Collectively, these outcomes would enable a thriving marine renewable energy sector, generating an estimated $12 billion in GDP impact from construction activity alone, while positioning Canada as a global exporter of marine renewable technologies and expertise.
Building on Momentum Already Underway
Canada has already made important progress. Tidal energy demonstrations in Nova Scotia and British Columbia, Indigenous-led community projects, and the establishment of a joint federal–provincial offshore wind regulatory framework have laid critical foundations. Nova Scotia’s Wind West Atlantic Energy initiative, identifying more than 60 GW of offshore wind potential for local use and export opportunities, underscores the scale of opportunity and the importance of strengthened interregional transmission.
However, the Vision makes clear that scaling marine renewables to their full potential will require coordinated action to address persistent barriers, including regulatory uncertainty, limited transmission and port infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and access to long-term financing.
“The Vision is clear that Canada already has the resources and technical expertise to scale marine renewable energy—what’s needed now is policy certainty,” said Jonathan Robinson, Senior Policy Advisor at Marine Renewables Canada. “There are 14 practical actions governments can take today, from interprovincial transmission to streamlined approvals, that will unlock private capital and accelerate deployment.”
A Call to Action
The Marine Renewable Energy Sector Vision 2050 is a call for deliberate, coordinated action. Marine Renewables Canada has identified 14 critical actions needed to establish the conditions for success and move from early deployment to large-scale commercialization.
These actions include federal leadership on interprovincial electricity planning to better connect world-class marine resources with growing demand centers; strategic investment in transmission and port infrastructure to reduce costs and unlock private capital; clear, long-term procurement targets that provide dependable offtake pathways; and stable investment frameworks that de-risk projects and attract global developers.
Equally important are streamlined, predictable regulatory processes that maintain high environmental and social standards; responsible coexistence with fisheries, shipping, and other ocean users; and meaningful Indigenous partnerships grounded in rights, reconciliation, and shared economic benefits. Targeted research, development, and demonstration support, alongside active international engagement, will further position Canada as a leader in marine renewable energy innovation and exports.
Learn More
MRC offers this Vision as a guiding reference for federal and provincial governments, Indigenous Nations, industry, investors, suppliers, and communities. It is intended to inform decision-making, align priorities, and provide clarity and confidence over the coming decades. By using this Vision to guide policy, planning, and investment, Canada can unlock the full value of its marine resources.
You are invited to download the full Vision document as well as the booklet in English and French here: marinerenewables.ca/vision.