Commission for Environmental Cooperation

393, rue St-Jacques Ouest, Bureau 200 

Montréal (Québec) Canada H2Y 1N9 

t (514) 350-4300 f (514) 350-4314 

info@cec.org / www.cec.org
This executive summary is based on a background paper prepared for the 

Secretariat of the CEC. The information contained herein does not necessarily 

reflect the views of the CEC or the governments of Canada, Mexico or the 

United States of America.

Reproduction of this document in whole or in part and in any form for 

educational or nonprofit purposes may be made without special permission 

from the CEC Secretariat, provided acknowledgment of the source is made. The 

CEC would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication or material that uses 

this document as a source.

Commission for Environmental Cooperation

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© Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 2007

Le résumé est disponible en français 

Este resumen ejecutivo está disponible en español

Please cite as:

Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Fostering Renewable 

Electricity Markets in North America—Executive Summary. Commission for 

Environmental Cooperation, Montreal, April 2007.

http://www.cec.org/Page.asp?PageID=30101&ContentID=17269&SiteNodeID=438

The full background paper is available, in English only, as:

Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Fostering Renewable Electricity 

Markets in North America—Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 

Montreal, April 2007.

http://www.cec.org/Storage/60/5230_Fostering-RE-MarketsinNA_en.pdf

Printed in Canada on paper containing 100% post-consumer waste fibers.

Commission for Environmental Cooperation

393, rue St-Jacques Ouest, Bureau 200 

Montréal (Québec) Canada H2Y 1N9 

t (514) 350-4300 f (514) 350-4314 

info@cec.org / www.cec.org

Publication details

Publication type: Executive Summary

Publication date: April 2007

Original language: English

Review and quality assurance procedures:

Reviewed by the Renewable Energy Expert 

Committee: 24 March 2006

Reviewed by the Trade and Environment 

Working Group: 14 April 2006

Reviewed by the Parties: May 2006–December 2006

For more information: see Acknowledgements.
Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets 

 in North America

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 4

Introduction 5

Purpose of this Paper 5 

Structure of the Markets 6 

Electricity Generation in Nor th America 6

Demand-Side Drivers 6

Supply-Side Drivers 10

Recommendations 12 

Canada 12

 Mexico 12

 United States 13

References 15

Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets 

in North America
Acknowledgements

This executive summary is based on a paper written by Meredith Wingate, Jan Hamrin and Lars 

Kvale of the Center for Resource Solutions, and Claudio Alatorre of the Institute of Engineering of 

the Autonomous National University of Mexico. The authors would like to thank the members of 

the Commission for Environmental Cooperation Renewable Energy Expert Committee (REEC) 

for their contributions to the initial outline and design of the paper and their subsequent comments on earlier drafts. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the contribution of Odón de 

Buen, Chantal Line Carpentier, Jeremy Brown, Louise Comeau, Pierre Deschamps, Gilles Favreau, 

Ed Holt, Jorge Huacuz, Florian Laberge, Michel Lesueur, Joanne McKenna, Brian Moghadam, 

Mary Pattenden, Michael Paunescu, Philip Raphals, Leslie-Ann Robertson, Helen Ryan and Blair 

Swezey for their expert comment.

The full Background Paper is available as: Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Fostering 

Renewable Electricity Markets in North America—Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 

Montreal, February 2007. http://www.cec.org/Storage/60/5230_Fostering-RE-MarketsinNA_en.pdf
Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America 

Introduction

Renewable electricity is derived from naturally regenerating energy resources such as the sun, 

wind, water, biomass and heat from the Earth’s interior. Hereafter, the term “renewable electricity,” or simply “RE,” will be used to refer to all renewable energy technologies for the generation 

of electricity. Although all hydroelectricity is renewable, this paper is limited to low-impact 

hydro. While definitions of low-impact hydro vary by jurisdiction, they generally include hydropower facilities that meet all regulatory licenses and adequately protect or mitigate impacts on 

river flows, water quality, fish passage and protection, watersheds, threatened and endangered 

species, cultural resources, and public access and recreation opportunities. Other renewable 

energy applications, such as thermal biomass and biogas applications, biofuels such as ethanol, 

solar thermal or geothermal heating and cooling, are outside the scope of this paper.

The paper provides an overview of the key market demand and supply-side drivers for 

renewable electricity in each of the three North American countries. It then identifies regulatory mandates, voluntary purchases, self-supply and financial incentives as the most important 

drivers of a renewable electricity market in North America today. The paper also explores the 

opportunities for growing the renewable electricity market in each of the three countries. It 

then concludes with a series of brief recommendations for the market overall and for the Parties 

of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) to help foster a 

North American renewable electricity future. 

Purpose of this Paper

The purpose of this paper is to assist governments of the three North American countries in 

supporting renewable electricity development by addressing informational and transactional 

barriers that add to renewable electricity costs, and by more actively assisting with policy 

implementation.

There is tremendous opportunity for renewable electricity to meet an increasing proportion of the North American electricity market. Many states and provinces in the United States 

and Canada have adopted some type of target for the supply of renewable electricity. At the same 

time, there has been an upsurge in the growth of the voluntary market1

 from large corporate 

and other commercial purchasers, particularly in the United States. Rising prices for natural gas 

and other fossil fuels have allowed suppliers to position renewable electricity as a hedge against 

fuel market volatility—demonstrating the value of renewables beyond environmental benefits. 

In Mexico, two new pieces of legislation will address some of the legal and market constraints 

on renewables if they are enacted. These and other factors show great promise for a continued 

growth of a renewable electricity market in North America.

1. An energy market that allows consumers to voluntarily select whether their electricity is supplied by renewable sources or 

nonrenewable ones.
However, the North American renewable electricity market faces a number of obstacles 

to its continued growth. In some locations, RE is cost-competitive with traditional resources, 

though its cost is more typically higher. The local, state/provincial, and national governments of 

the Parties to the NAAEC have different RE procurement rules. 

Structure of the Markets

Policy drivers for renewable electricity depend on existing policy frameworks and the structure 

of the electricity sectors within each of the three countries. 

In Canada, provinces have jurisdiction over resource development, including electricity, 

and as a result most aspects of energy policy and regulation reside with them. Any regulatory 

initiatives to increase production or to set resource targets also originate with the provinces. 

The federal government has jurisdiction over nuclear energy and, through the National Energy 

Board, regulates electricity exports and international power lines. 

In Mexico, since 1960, the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity is the 

responsibility of the federal state, accomplished through its two vertically integrated utilities, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (Federal Electricity Commission, or CFE) and Luz 

y Fuerza del Centro (Central Light and Power, or LyFC).2

 Energy policy is determined by the 

federal government with virtually no state-level involvement. Following amendments introduced in 1992, the Public Electricity Service Act (LSPEE) allows private sector participation 

in the generation of electricity in the form of self-supply, co-generation (combined heat and 

power), independent production and small production (not exceeding 30 MW); as well as 

import and export of electricity under conditions established for each case (Ley del Servicio 

Público de Energía Eléctrica, Art. 36, 1993), regulated by the Comisión Reguladora de Energía

(Energy Regulatory Commission, or CRE).

The US electricity market is governed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

(FERC) and state public utility commissions. FERC is an independent government agency, 

officially organized as part of the Department of Energy. It is responsible for regulating the 

interstate transmission of electricity, wholesale electricity sales, licensing and inspecting 

hydroelectric projects, and monitoring energy markets and companies to protect customers from market manipulation. Individual state public utility commissions approve all utility 

resource plans and regulate retail sales of electricity and utility operations.

Electricity Generation in North America

Figure 1 depicts the current mix in electricity generation in Canada, Mexico and the United 

States. Table 1 shows the installed electricity generation in each country. 

Demand-Side Drivers

Governmental mandates refer to various laws and regulations that require the use of renewable 

resources (such as the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requiring or setting as a goal a certain 

proportion of the electricity production to come from environmentally preferable fuel sources) 

or policy imperatives for renewables. Each country has taken a different approach in this area, 

as discussed below.

The Canadian government has stated its interest in ensuring future generations enjoy 

clean air, clean water and clean energy. Canada is currently developing an environmental agenda 

2. LyFC supplies the Federal District and the surrounding region in central Mexico, while CFE covers the rest of the country. 

CFE is in charge of 97% of the total generation capacity in Mexico (excluding self-supply) and provides electricity to meet 

most of the electricity needs of LyFC. Although in practice CFE is responsible for contracting virtually all new public 

sector capacity in Mexico (with the exception of a set of natural gas-based distributed generation plants that LyFC will soon 

install), any reference to CFE in this document applies in principle to LyFC as well.
Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America 

that will address greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. It is anticipated that this agenda 

will help foster renewable electricity generation. 

Several Canadian provinces have initiated aggressive measures, such as mandatory or 

voluntary renewable electricity targets, request-for-proposals, government procurement, and 

standard-offer contracts for renewable electricity. The levels of provincial/territorial mandates 

and targets are shown in Figure 2. Quebec and Ontario have used quite aggressive requests for 

proposals as a means of increasing the electricity generation from renewable energy sources. 

The estimated amount of renewables expected from provincial and territorial RPS programs and 

targets is 9,140 MW by 2017.

Figure 1. Electricity Generation in North America (2003)

Table 1. Installed Electricity Generating Capacity in North America by Type (1 January 2004)

(million kilowatts)

Source: Energy Information Administration, International Energy Annual 2004, http://www.eia.doe.gov/iea/elec.html.

Canada Mexico United States

Conventional Thermal 34.863 37.559 745.446

Geothermal, Solar, Wind, 

and Wood and Waste

2.419 0.979 19.462

Hydroelectric 70.197 9.650 77 .641

Nuclear 10.615 1.365 99.628

Totals 118.094 49.553 942.178

Source: Energy Information Administration, International Energy Annual 2004, http://www.eia.doe.gov/iea/elec.html.

Conventional thermal 27%

Nuclear 12%

Geothermal, solar, 

wind,wood and 

waste 2%

Hydroelectric 

59%

Canada

Total: 569.4 billion kilowatt-hours

Conventional 

thermal 81%

Nuclear 5%

Geothermal, solar, 

wind, wood and 

waste 4%

Hydroelectric 

10%

Mexico

Total: 206.7 billion kilowatt-hours

United States

Total: 3,891.7 billion kilowatt-hours

Conventional 

thermal 71%

Nuclear 20%

Geothermal, solar, wind, 

wood and waste 2%

Hydroelectric 7%
Yukon: 

1 MW of wind 

increase by 2006

British Columbia: 

10% of all new 

generation by 

2012

Northwest 

Territories: 

10% by 2010 

and 25% by 

2025

Alberta: 

3.5% by 

2008

Saskatchewan: 

150 MW of wind by 

2005 – 100% of new 

generation until 2010 

to come from operations that do not add 

to greenhouse gas 

emissions

Nunavut: 

increases in one 

or two community 

projects by 2008

Manitoba: 

1,000 MW of 

wind by 2014 Quebec: 

3,000 MW of 

wind by 2013

Newfoundland: 

25 MW by 2005

Prince Edward Island: 

15% by 2010

Nova Scotia: 

5% by 2010

New Brunswick: 

30% by 2016

Ontario: 

5% by 2007 

10% by 2010

Figure 2. Canadian Renewable Electricity Standards and Targets as of September 2005

In Mexico, current planning calls for the installation of an additional capacity of 642 MW 

in wind and geothermal projects between 2006 and 2014. Expansion of capacity beyond that 

point has not yet been planned.

Of the three countries, the United States has the most governmental mandates, with 

twenty-one states that have enacted an RPS (see Figure 3). The state RPSs are currently the only 

significant regulatory drivers for new renewable development. The estimated demand for both 

new and existing renewable electricity is estimated to be 37,175 MW by 2017. Of this amount, 

approximately 32,000 MW is estimated to come from new renewable electricity. 

Figure 4 summarizes the cumulative renewable electricity demand in North America 

from regulatory mandates.

In addition, existing and proposed carbon regulations do provide incentives for renewables. Twenty-three US states have enacted programs and policies to monitor and or reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions that may impact the demand for renewable electricity. Policies to 

limit greenhouse gas emissions that may impact the demand for renewable electricity include 

setting limits for greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, introducing “carbon adders” to 

utility resource planning processes, and setting targets for statewide CO2/greenhouse gas emissions. (A carbon adder is a sum of money that is added to the procurement costs of fossil fuel 

generation during a utility’s resource planning process to explicitly take into account the social 

costs of carbon emissions from electricity generation facilities.) Other actions may include states 

establishing working groups or commissions to develop climate change plans and policies. Some 

Source: Pollution Probe 2005.
Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America 

Nevada: 

20% by 2015, 

solar 5% of annual

Figure 3. United States Renewable Electricity Standards as of January 2006

California: 

20% by 2017

NJ: 6.5% by 2008

CT: 10% by 2010

RI: 16% by 2019

MA: 4% by 2009

Maine: 30% by 2000

New York: 

24% by 2013

Iowa: 

2% by 1999

Illinois: 

8% by 2013**

Wisconsin: 

2.2% by 2011

Minnesota: 

19% by 2015*

Montana: 

15% by 2015

New Mexico: 

10% by 2011 Arizona: 

1.1% by 2007, 

60% solar

Hawaii: 20% by 2020

Colorado: 

10% by 2015

Texas: 

5,880 MW 

(~4.2%) by 2015

Pennsylvania: 

8% by 2020

Washington, DC: 

11% by 2022 Maryland: 7.5% by 2019

DE: 10% by 2019

*Includes requirements adopted in 1994 and 2003 for one utility, Xcel Energy. **No specific enforcement measures, but utility regulatory intent and 

authority appears. 

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists 2005a.

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

15,000

20,000

10,000

0

Figure 4. Cumulative Renewable Electricity Demand in North America 

from Regulatory Mandates

Sources: Canadian Wind Energy Association 2005, Pollution Probe 2005, Union of Concerned Scientists 2005b. 

Current planning in Mexico does not extend beyond 2014.

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Limit of current planning
10

states are also mandating the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and several have established 

greenhouse gas registries for voluntary action. 

At this time, the voluntary market for renewable electricity is a demand driver in the 

United States and Canada only (in Mexico, consumers can opt for the self-supply scheme discussed below). In the United States, the voluntary market has experienced exponential growth 

since the mid-1990s. This has been a result of the development of new products, the decreasing price of renewables, and the increased awareness of the benefits of renewable electricity. In 

2004, 6.2 million MWh were sold in the voluntary market, of which almost half were to commercial, industrial and non-federal governmental customers. Altogether, voluntary purchases 

represented more than 2,000 MW of installed capacity. It is estimated that the voluntary market 

will support more than 7,000 MW of capacity by 2010.

The voluntary market in Canada is extremely small and immature. Although a handful 

of provinces have utility green pricing programs or green marketing programs, there is little 

demand right now for such products. In general, most voluntary renewable purchases in Canada 

will be counted toward provincial and territorial targets, and therefore, the authors estimate 

little additional demand from voluntary markets.

The combined total of Canadian and US federal government procurement of RE is estimated to be 2,850,000 MWh/year. This will create a demand for roughly 1084 MW of capacity.3

 The authors do not include provincial or state or local government procurements in the 

summary total because it is assumed that these purchases are not incremental to the demand 

estimated from provincial targets in the case of Canada, and voluntary purchases, in the case of 

the United States. 

Mexico does not currently have a federal renewable electricity procurement program. All 

three countries may be able to engage the North American Green Purchasing Initiative (NAGPI) 

to advance their efforts to promote renewable electricity.

Supply-Side Drivers

In Canada, there is an attractive array of incentive programs for new low-impact hydro renewable projects at both the federal and provincial level. These include: accelerated tax depreciation; 

direct production incentives; research, development and demonstration programs and funds; 

requests for proposals; standard offer contracts; and several provincial investment funds.

Similarly, the United States has a number of federal programs to support renewable electricity development, the most significant being the federal Production Tax Credit, the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005, the Farm Bill (Title IX), and presidential Executive Order 13423 “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management.” Furthermore, at the 

state level there are the Clean Energy Funds. In Mexico, the most significant supply drivers for 

renewable electricity are the accelerated depreciation allowance for renewable energy investments, and the Clean Development Mechanism.

The authors found that the major supply-side drivers for on-site generation are net-metering, standardized interconnection rules and financial incentives. Most policies and programs 

to encourage on-site distributed generation in Canada are at the provincial level. They include 

3. The vast majority of the 2,850,000 MWh are from the United States, and they do not create demand for new installed 

generating capacity, as there is no new source requirement with US federal procurement. The majority of this is wind, and an 

optimistic capacity factor for wind is 30%. It should be noted, however, that in Canada, out of 147,000 MWh/year of federal 

purchases of electricity from renewable sources, 90,000 MWh/year come from small, low-environmental impact hydro 

with a capacity factor around 50%, the remaining production being from wind with an average of 30%. Furthermore, the 

Canadian federal program, Purchase of Electricity from Renewable Resources (PERR), has a clear eligibility requirement for 

new, incremental generating capacity.
Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America 11

eliminating the sales tax on small renewable energy equipment, net metering laws, and streamlined interconnection standards. Likewise, in the United States, net-metering laws and federal 

efforts to develop universal interconnection standards have been important to the growth of onsite distributed generation. In the US, state funds have played a critical role in helping to bring 

down the costs of installed distributed generation.

In Mexico, on-site or off-site self-supply is an important component of Mexico’s renewable 

portfolio. Future large-scale grid-connected self-supply is expected to contribute 1,000 MW of 

new installed capacity in coming years and is benefiting from a new interconnection agreement 

developed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE). Small-scale grid connected self-supply 

has good future potential in Mexico, but more work needs to be done to enable interconnection 

with the grid. 

Notwithstanding these achievements and positive trends, there is room for improvement. 

Effective public policies supporting renewables need to be more widely implemented and lessons learned about programs or combinations of programs that worked or didn’t work need to 

be more widely disseminated. Renewable electricity generation needs to be brought more on par 

with non-renewable generators, in terms of subsidies, tax incentives and other favorable government financing policies. Consumer understanding of the value of renewable electricity and the 

available green pricing options is low, and despite their large recent growth, voluntary markets 

for renewable electricity are still in their infancy in all three countries.

In Mexico, the legal framework of the energy sector is one of the greatest barriers to more 

renewable development. However, a growing consensus has emerged among a range of stakeholders about the need to foster renewable electricity. Consequently, a renewable energy bill and 

other bills have been proposed in Congress that would create a Renewable Energy Fund, require 

an increased amount of renewable electricity in the utilities’ portfolio, pave the way for a voluntary green power market, and institute other measures to facilitate more renewable development 

by the State-owned utilities, independent power producers and self-suppliers. The passage and 

subsequent appropriation needed to implement these proposed laws is still pending. 

To foster the continued growth of a North American renewable electricity market, the 

authors identify a number of opportunities where advancements would help achieve growth. 
12

Recommendations

Canada

The overall recommendation for Canada is the development of a comprehensive renewable electricity vision and strategy through federal-provincial-territorial cooperation and stakeholder 

participation. The specific recommendations for Canada include:

Financial incentives

n Develop innovative financing mechanisms, to be tested through pilot projects. 

n Capitalize on opportunities for renewable electricity projects with provincial and territorial 

governments that have policies to encourage the generation of electricity from renewable 

energy sources. 

n Adjustment of tax policies for development expense write-offs and depreciation 

of project assets. 

Address regulatory issues/institutional barriers

n Initiate a process for analysis and recommendations concerning the funding of transmission line extensions and upgrades. 

n Support the development of national interconnection standards and/or refine net metering programs and interconnection standards where they exist. 

Develop capacities/engage Canadians

n Create a national coordinating body or network with representatives from provincial, 

territorial, and federal government officials as well as key stakeholders. 

n Establish centers of excellence to address technology and policy development. 

n Develop Technology Road Maps that will help the private sector select and develop the 

best technology options to meet technical, environmental and market needs. 

n Develop a comprehensive public education and outreach strategy to inform all segments 

of Canadian society about provincial/territorial and municipal renewable electricity 

targets as well as renewable electricity benefits and available options. 

n Identify information gaps and lay the foundation for future plans and actions to address 

human resources and skills issues.

Mexico

The country-specific recommendations for Mexico, which should largely be achieved through 

the passage of the LAFRE bill, include:

Opportunities in CFE’s expansion planning process

n Give an explicit mandate to the State-owned utilities to include renewable electricity in 

its expansion planning, as well as quantitative targets.

n Provide financial incentives for projects that deliver renewable electricity to the utilities, 

thereby compensating the positive externalities.

n Recognize the capacity contribution of intermittent renewable electricity sources—notably 

wind.

n Favor small-producer (under 30 MW) projects in two ways: (i) by giving the State-owned 

utilities the mandate to include some small projects in their expansion planning; (ii) by 

providing incentives to projects not included in the utilities’ planning (thereby offering a 

supply driver for these projects).

n Review the methodology for determining the fossil fuel price forecasts.
Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America 13

Opportunities in green pricing schemes

n Create green tariffs with a long-term stability guarantee.

Supply-side opportunities to increase grid-connected renewable electricity in Mexico

n Consider redirecting any electricity premiums paid by the federal government toward 

the purchase of renewable electricity.

n Provide financial support for the assessment of the potential of renewable energy 

sources nationwide, thereby overcoming the lack-of-information barrier for all renewable 

electricity projects.

n Address public awareness, public participation and social responsibility, thereby contributing to foster social acceptance of renewable electricity projects. 

n Promote administrative simplification and coordination by the federal, state and municipal authorities, in order to facilitate the procurement of the required licenses for new 

projects.

n Undertake awareness-raising activities in resource-rich areas.

Opportunities to increase on-grid self-supply of renewable electricity in Mexico

n Strengthen the role of development banks in the provision of guarantees for municipalities in self-supply agreements.

n Follow-up and replicate the experience of the Integrated Energy Services for Small Communities in Rural Mexico project.

United States

For the United States, the country-specific recommendations include:

Advancing industrial, commercial, and institutional procurement

n Help advance the creation of a national certificate-tracking network across the United 

States so that large buyers can feel confident of the renewable certificate purchases.

n Explore how the CEC’s North American Green Purchasing Initiative may help expand the 

deployment of renewable electricity technologies and purchases of electricity or renewable certificates.

n Increase federal and state support for and involvement in renewable electricity outreach 

activities.

Financial incentives

n Explore the creation of a federal program to allow use of tax-exempt bonds for private 

developers of renewable electricity projects.

n Explore broadening existing incentive options or creating new ones at the state and 

federal level for renewable distributed generation and supporting renewable industry and 

infrastructure development.

Maintaining effective state RPS programs

n Encourage states to explore options for encouraging renewables through their air policy, 

including design of cap-and-trade programs.

Expanding public understanding of renewable electricity beyond the environment

n Develop materials that promote the benefits of renewables beyond their environmental 

value.

n Encourage the use of renewables as a financial hedge against volatile fuel prices.
14

The NAAEC Parties should be commended for their commitment to reduce the impacts of electricity generation and trade on the environment by supporting the increased deployment of renewable electricity technologies. The paper offers several recommendations for cooperation among all 

three NAAEC Parties for follow-up activities that may support a North American renewable electricity market and the deployment of more renewable electricity across North America. 

1. Compile best practices for power system dispatch and integration of intermittent and 

distributed resources. Foster trinational information sharing on best practices in a form 

that is most likely to be effective and useful.

2. Prepare a report that quantifies the financial value and public benefit of renewables as 

a hedge against fuel costs, a mechanism to increase portfolio diversity. The findings of 

the report would be tailored to two main audiences: utility integrated resource planners and large-volume electricity users that may not fully appreciate the price stability of 

renewables. 

3. Help advance programs that will provide recognition to commercial, industrial and institutional purchasers of renewable electricity, such as the EPA Green Power Partnership, 

or “Made with Renewables” or similar product labeling initiatives. Support trinational 

information-sharing on how to best develop a buyers’ recognition program.

4. Develop case studies of the most successful programs for encouraging companies to buy 

renewable electricity, install on-site renewable generation, or become equity owners in 

utility-scale generation projects. Identify the most compelling motivational factors for 

these electricity users. Investigate opportunities for enhancing, expanding or replicating 

such programs in relevant markets.

5. Help advance the development and expansion of a North American market for RECs. 

Ássist the development of compatible standards for REC integrity and initiatives to prevent double counting of RECs used in voluntary and mandatory markets.

6. Help advance federal government renewable electricity procurement initiatives in each of 

the three countries.

7. Develop a compendium of policies, examples, best-practices, and “how-to guides” for offgrid, distributed renewable generation that would provide practical guidance for small 

groups, e.g., indigenous populations, to select, finance, and install renewable distributed 

generation.

8. Help advance work to update and expand user functionality of the North American 

Renewable Energy Directory. 

9. Prepare a report focusing on the development, deployment and market drivers for renewable energy technologies.

10. Increase cross-border trading of renewables between the three countries on short- and 

long-term markets.
Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America 15

References

Canadian Wind Energy Association. 2005. Submission by the Canadian Wind Energy Association. 

Federal/Provincial/Territorial Council of Energy Ministers’ Meeting. Sept. 20. St. Andrews, New 

Brunswick <http://www.canwea.ca/images/uploads/File/Wind_Energy_Policy/federal_provincial/

CEM_Brief_2005_Final.pdf>.

Energy Information Administration. 2005. Annual Energy Outlook 2005-With Projections to 2025.

Washington, DC: Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting. <http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/>.

Energy Information Administration, International Energy Annual 2004, 

<http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelelectric.html>

Pollution Probe. 2005. Green Power Provincial/Territorial Targets and Policies. September. 

<http://www.pollutionprobe.org/index.html>.

Secretaría de Energía. 2005a. Balance Nacional de Energía 2004. Mexico City: SENER. 

<http://www.sener.gob.mx/work/sites/SenerNva/resources/LocalContent/6763/1/balance2004.pdf>.

Secretaría de Energía. 2005b. Prospectiva del Sector Eléctrico 2005–2014. Mexico City: Sener. 

<http://www.energia.gob.mx/work/sites/SenerNva/resources/LocalContent/4226/1/Electrico_

2005_2014.pdf>.

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2005a. Renewable Electricity Standard FAQ. November.

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2005b. Renewing America’s Economy: US Senate 10 Percent 

National Renewable Electricity Standard Will Save Consumers Money, and Create Jobs. 

<http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/clean_energy/Renewing-Americas-Economy-2005.pdf>.
16
This executive summary is based on a background paper prepared for the 

Secretariat of the CEC. The information contained herein does not necessarily 

reflect the views of the CEC or the governments of Canada, Mexico or the 

United States of America.

Reproduction of this document in whole or in part and in any form for 

educational or nonprofit purposes may be made without special permission 

from the CEC Secretariat, provided acknowledgment of the source is made. The 

CEC would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication or material that uses 

this document as a source.

Commission for Environmental Cooperation

393, rue St-Jacques Ouest, Bureau 200

Montréal (Québec) Canada H2Y 1N9

info@cec.org www.cec.org

© Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 2007

Le résumé est disponible en français 

Este resumen ejecutivo está disponible en español

Please cite as:

Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Fostering Renewable 

Electricity Markets in North America—Executive Summary. Commission for 

Environmental Cooperation, Montreal, April 2007.

http://www.cec.org/pubs_docs/documents/index.cfm?varlan=english&ID=2119

The full background paper is available, in English only, as:

Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Fostering Renewable Electricity 

Markets in North America—Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 

Montreal, April 2007.

http://www.cec.org/pubs_docs/documents/index.cfm?varlan=english&ID=1986

Printed in Canada on paper containing 100% post-consumer waste fibers.

Commission for Environmental Cooperation

393, rue St-Jacques Ouest, Bureau 200 

Montréal (Québec) Canada H2Y 1N9 

t (514) 350-4300 f (514) 350-4314 

info@cec.org / www.cec.org

Publication details

Publication type: Executive Summary

Publication date: April 2007

Original language: English

Review and quality assurance procedures:

Reviewed by the Renewable Energy Expert 

Committee: 24 March 2006

Reviewed by the Trade and Environment 

Working Group: 14 April 2006

Reviewed by the Parties: May 2006–December 2006

For more information: see Acknowledgements.
Commission for Environmental Cooperation

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