The federal government has produced new regulations that will make our electricity grid net zero by 2035.

That means a reduction of the use of fossil fuels and instead focuses on renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydrogen and battery storage.

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says they are giving energy producers lots of time to meet that target.

“The reason we’re announcing this 12 years ahead of this deadline is to give investors, utilities lead time to do the necessary investment and build out the grid so that by 2035, our grid is carbon neutral, is net zero,” Guilbeault told an audience at the University of Toronto.

Guilbeault adds they are focussing on renewable forms of energy to make that happen.

“Like hydrogen for example and battery storage, renewable energy like solar and wind and minimize the use of fossil fuels on the grid.  So, what what we’re talking about is not a fossil fuel free grid by 2035, it’s a net zero grid by 2035.”

Guilbeault estimates provincial utilities will invest $400 billion to upgrade the electricity grid over the next 12 years in order to meet the net zero target and the federal government is helping with a number of programs to encourage the use of renewable energy sources.