Electricity strategies: How energy policies differ across Canada

The generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Canada is a provincial responsiblity, and there are differences in the way each region approaches the job of making sure they have enough power to meet demand. Each province pursues a different strategy according to its current and future energy needs, as well as the availability of naturalresources.

Some provinces have vast amounts of hydroelectric potential, including Quebec and B.C., whichgives them a source of cheap, emission-free electricity. Others, including Alberta and Nova Scotia,rely heavily on fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas. Ontario, one of the biggest producers and consumers of power, utilizes amix of sources ranging from coal and nuclear to hydro and wind.

The provinces, moreover, vary considerably in terms of the amount of power they produce.Quebec is Canada's powerhouse, accounting for one third of all the generation in the country.

Surplus energy is amajor source of governmentrevenue,but due totechnical limitations within the power grid, extra electricity is usually sent south to the U.S. It's a lucrative business, worth about $3.8 billion a year.

Electricity has also proven to be asource of conflict among the regions, particularly between Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.

CBC News has compiled a power profile for each province based on current and future generating capacity, average price per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and officiall provincial "green" targets, including greenhouse gas emission rankings and planned renewable capacity.