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Energy transitions in Indigenous, Northern and remote communities in Canada promise benefits that go beyond reliable, clean and affordable energy services. The Federal and Provincial governments have committed funding to get remote communities off diesel, acknowledging energy transitions' global and local benefits. Besides climate change mitigation, other benefits, including job creation, income generation, community ownership and local economic growth, are fundamental components of the value proposition of renewable energy projects. However, despite the promises, little evidence of the impacts of renewable energy on communities' local conditions exists. This article looks at the relationship between renewable energy projects and community well-being in Canada. We construct a panel of Indigenous communities and well-being levels using Census data and information about renewable energy projects for the period 1981–2016. The findings suggest that renewable energy is associated with higher levels of well-being. Concretely, having access to renewable energy increases overall well-being by 1 to 5 points on the 0–100 well-being scale, depending on the component of the well-being index considered in the analysis. • Renewable energy and community wellbeing is an essential relationship for successful energy transitions. • The size of the renewable energy projects is strongly associated with higher community wellbeing. • Communities that hold majority ownership of renewable energy projects exhibit higher wellbeing levels. • Solar and wind energy projects are associated with higher wellbeing levels, whereas hydropower is associated with lower ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global call to address climate change and advance sustainable development has created rapid growth in research, investment, and policymaking regarding the renewable energy transition of Indigenous communities. From a rightsholder perspective, Indigenous Peoples' vision of sustainability, autonomy, and sovereignty should guide research on their energy needs. In this paper, we present a multi-method, inductive examination to identify gaps between Indigenous communities' expressed needs and rights, and the questions researchers and policymakers investigate in energy transition research conducted in the context of Indigenous communities located in Canada. We combine a systematic review of the extant literature, a scoping review of the grey literature on off-grid communities by Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments and non-governmental policy bodies, qualitative primary data collected via fieldwork, and an in-depth study of an Indigenous-led renewable energy transition study conducted by Haíɫzaqv Nation's Climate Action Team. We holistically examine these different perspectives and identify emergent themes to recommend ways to bridge the gaps between off-grid renewable energy research and stated Indigenous community priorities. Specifically, we recommend designing equitable research practices, understanding community worldviews, developing holistic research goals, respecting Indigenous data sovereignty, and sharing or co-developing knowledge with communities to align with community priorities closely. • There is a research-practice gap in Indigenous communities' energy transitions. • We used a multi-method inquiry integrating Indigenous and Western approaches. • Renewable energy literature diverges from the Indigenous community vision and goals. • Indigenous research methods can reduce the research-practice gap in high-tech fields. • Community-based approaches can use traditional laws to yield actionable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deep decarbonization of the power systems is pivotal to the efforts of global energy transition and climate mitigation. The small modular reactor (SMR) is a decarbonized, reliable and secure generating technology that can bring new possibilities for global power-sector transition. However, such a transition involves a variety of complexities even beyond conventional systems. We comprehensively explore the SMR deployment and the decarbonization pathway in a number of diversified power and jurisdictional systems under various complexities associated with multiple variables, objectives, criteria and constraints that have dynamic and interactive relationships. This effort is based on the development of an SMR-embedded multi-region power system management model (SMPM). Using Canada as an example, here we show that SMRs would play different roles in diversified power systems, particularly for fossil-fuel dependent, highly variable renewable energy-penetrated and off-grid. The introduction of SMRs to Canada would result in up to 71% (/48%) emission reduction from 2005 (/2018) level in the country by 2045. Our results would help show the significance of SMRs for supporting the global energy transition. [Display omitted] • An SMPM model is developed to analyze low-carbon power system transition in Canada. • Multiple complexities and uncertainties in power systems are reflected. • SMR development issue is investigated within a power-system optimization framework. • The regional development of Canada is analyzed by a holistic optimization method. • GHG emissions from Canada's power sector would be 48% lower in 2045 than in 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]