While Canada’s provinces and territories continue to prioritise solar to different degrees, US tariff uncertainty is reinforcing national-level plans to invest in renewables and more integrated energy infrastructure.
Solar development is accelerating in some parts of Canada, while others are taking a more cautious approach as provinces and territories chart their own energy policies.
Phil McKay, Senior Director of Member Programs at the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), told pv magazine that while figures for new solar additions in 2026 are not yet available, he is hearing anecdotally from the association’s members that it has been “a good year”, with many talking about growing interest in storage-paired systems.
Canada’s solar market is highly fragmented across its ten provinces and three territories. This is largely down to the country’s electricity system, which the federal government’s website describes as multiple, relatively-segregated grids that are governed and planned independently and generally trade more with the US than one another. McKay described it as “13 different markets.”
These markets are prioritizing solar buildout to different degrees. In April, Québec launched a solar incentive program, with provincial utility Hydro-Québec offering a direct cash rebate of CAN 1,000 ($720)/kW covering up to 40% of eligible installation costs for residential and customer customers.
