MME Professor advocates transition to renewable energy

Transitioning to greater use of renewable energy is one of the keys for Canada to avoid the kind of massive price increases facing many other countries, according to a Waterloo Engineering professor whose research expertise includes energy systems and storage.

Xianguo Li, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering, tackles issues around the country's energy security in a question-and-answer release issued by the University of Waterloo today.

"Canadians have already been seeing significant increases in energy bills, be it hydro bills or gas prices at the pump," Li said.

"To prevent a drastic rise, we need to decarbonize the energy sector; the use of traditional fossil fuels needs to be reduced, while non-carbon-based fuels and energy resources like renewables are being promoted."

Go to Q and A with the experts: Canada's energy security for the full story.