Marine energy ‘key pillar’ in Canada’s clean energy transition, 2050 roadmap states

February 11, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

Marine Renewables Canada (MRC) has published a national roadmap that outlines how offshore wind, tidal, wave, and river current energy can help meet Canada’s surging electricity demand, projected to increase two to threefold by 2050, with marine renewable energy seen as a key pillar of the country’s clean energy transition.

Although Canada has already made progress with tidal energy demonstrations in Nova Scotia and British Columbia, Indigenous-led community projects, and the joint federal-provincial offshore wind regulatory framework, with the Marine Renewable Energy Sector Vision 2050, MRC is calling for deliberate, coordinated action and 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 marine resources with growing demand centers, strategic investment in transmission and port infrastructure to reduce costs and unlock private capital, clear and long-term procurement targets that provide dependable offtake pathways, and stable investment frameworks that de-risk projects and attract global developers.

Furthermore, streamlined and predictable regulatory processes that maintain high environmental and social standards, responsible coexistence with fisheries, shipping, and other ocean users, Indigenous partnerships grounded in rights, reconciliation, and shared economic benefits, as well as targeted research, development, and demonstration support, alongside active international engagement, are also important, the roadmap notes.

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“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, MRC’s Executive Director. “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.”

The roadmap sees marine renewable energy as a key pillar of Canada’s clean energy transition by 2050, supporting climate action, strengthening energy systems, and fostering resilient communities and sustainable economic growth.

Marine Renewable Energy Sector Vision 2050. Source: Marine Renewables Canada (MRC)

This implies global leadership in tidal energy, with over 1 GW of installed capacity across large- and small-scale projects, an established offshore wind market, with more than 30 GW deployed or under construction, wave energy as a viable component of the clean energy system, with over 50 MW installed, including Canada’s first grid-connected wave energy array supplying Vancouver Island, marine renewable energy powering remote communities and ocean industries, with more than 50 communities and remote industrial sites achieving meaningful diesel displacement, as well as reliable, predictable, and integrated marine generation that supports baseload needs, optimizes energy storage, and helps balance variability across the Canadian net-zero electricity grid.

These outcomes would collectively 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, the roadmap states.

The roadmap, however, states 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 MRC. “There are 14 practical actions governments can take today, from interprovincial transmission to streamlined approvals, that will unlock private capital and accelerate deployment.”