The feds are looking to help provinces be a little more neighbourly with their electricity.
What happened: Ottawa is planning to build major new electricity transmission projects on both coasts to link up provinces' energy grids. According to Natural Resource Minister Tim Hodgson, the goal is to unlock more cheap, clean power that can be sent to neighbouring provinces instead of the U.S.
- Hodgson says there’s already a pitch to build new transmission lines that would connect the wind, hydro and nuclear power of the four Atlantic provinces and Québec.
- Out west, experts have pointed to the potential of more energy trade between B.C. and Alberta to help lower prices, power export hubs like Prince Rupert, and connect to the Yukon to allow more critical mining in the north.
Why it’s happening: Prime Minister Carney’s pledge to make Canada an “energy superpower” isn’t just about drilling for more oil. A big part of cutting reliance on the U.S. — which buys 3.3 million homes' worth of electricity every year — is finding ways to buy and sell power domestically.
- Right now, Canada’s electricity grid mostly runs north-south to the U.S., making it easier for provinces to sell to states like New York and Michigan rather than their neighbours.
Why it matters: New east–west transmission lines would let provinces more easily trade the cheapest power they are able to produce. That could quickly cut Canadians’ electricity bills and provide a reliable, low-cost energy supply to lure investors and businesses from abroad.—LA