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April 26, 2026

Local Power. Local Energy. Forever Renewable.

Written by Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma

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In today’s newsletter, I am covering power. Not just yours and mine, but also the infinitely renewable natural sources we receive so freely from our planet. Easy to set up, cheap to produce, with none of the incredibly dangerous generational side effects if there’s a leak! And as of 2026, it is also far cheaper than traditional alternatives. We call these Renewables.

Renewables 101

Fossil fuels – their extraction, production, distribution and use – have driven up living costs for most people. They have polluted and heated the planet, made a lot of people poor and unhealthy, and have contributed to deadly conflicts worldwide. But for a long time, they were considered the best, most reliable and cheapest alternative to run our world. No more. If ever.

There is clear, irrefutable evidence that Renewables are the way of the future. They are also better for our personal health and safety, and an electricity grid that draws on renewable energy is far easier on our wallets. Countries like Spain and Portugal in Europe, and China, India, and Pakistan in Asia, are already reducing their dependence on fossil fuel imports. Canada, the US and UK are falling far behind.

Wonderfully, thankfully, the global switch to renewable energy has passed a “positive tipping point.” This is according to a United Nations report released last Tuesday that states solar and wind are now almost always the least expensive and fastest option for new energy generation.
With the US-Israel war on Iran and other parts of West Asia, more fuel shortages and price hikes are coming our way, more than what we have seen so far. I talked about this in my last newsletter, titled “Come, Come, Whoever you are.” We will see price hikes across the board – not just in fuel but in food, fertilisers and other goods too. The good news is that Renewables are a robust, far cheaper alternative to fossil fuels; they support local economies, are widely available in every corner of the world, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and the environmental harm and uncertainty that comes with it.

Here are some great resources, if you, like me, love the deep dive:

Canada: “A true nation-building project would be to create a renewable-powered integrated electricity grid throughout the country.” Put away pipelines, go with grids, by David Suzuki Foundation
Worldwide: “More than 85% of new renewables are now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.”  by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Europe: “More than 90% of new renewable energy capacity is now cheaper than fossil fuels,” a study shows
UK: “The electricity we receive from renewables has simultaneously boomed,” from 3% in 2000 to 47% today.

In Canada, here’s what we can do immediately

Campaign to boost our east-to-west electricity grid, improve our local electricity grids and shift to Renewables. Urgently. Immediately. It is crucial at this time to support our national economy, and local renewable power is a big part of that.

Start with this petition from the David Suzuki Foundation.

David Suzuki Foundation Petition for Renewable Energy

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