Deputy Prime Minister Freeland Details Delivery of $28B Clean Economy Tax Credits

OTTAWA, ON — Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland delivered a comprehensive economic update Thursday regarding the administrative rollout of Canada’s five major Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits (ITCs), confirming that over $28 billion in capital projects are currently progressing through Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) certification portals.

Statutory Tax Credit Portfolios and Labor Requirements

The enacted tax credit suite includes refundable credits for Clean Technology (up to 30%), Clean Hydrogen (up to 40%), Clean Electricity (up to 15%), Carbon Capture and Storage (up to 60%), and Clean Technology Manufacturing (up to 30%). Deputy Prime Minister Freeland highlighted that qualifying for maximum credit rates requires companies to pay prevailing union-negotiated wages and ensure that at least 10 percent of trade apprentice hours are utilized on construction sites.

The Department of Finance estimates that the credits will support the creation of over 85,000 skilled trade jobs over the next five years.

Industrial Response and Global Competitiveness

Clean energy developers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario commended the publication of final technical guidance, noting that statutory certainty allows major hydrogen, solar, and battery storage projects to reach final investment decisions (FID).

Building Trades Unions praised the labor requirements for guaranteeing competitive wages for Canadian construction workers.

CRA Certification Dockets and Reporting

The Canada Revenue Agency will publish its first annual public registry of approved clean economy tax credit allocations in October 2026.