Multiple Pathways to Clean Energy: Canada’s Western Provinces
REGINA | May 8-9, 2017 Hotel Saskatchewan
Clean energy has become a central policy goal of Canada’s western provinces. It is seen as a pathway to achieve
provincial emissions reduction targets, to diversify provincial economies, and to foster growth in green business,
investment, and new types of jobs.
To fulfill its strategic goals of informing public policy and fostering objective and open energy dialogue, the Energy
Council of Canada organizes conferences across Canada which engage a broad cross-section of policy-makers,
energy leaders, academics, and experts.
To advance the dialogue on the emerging energy-related opportunities and issues related to the transformation
to clean energy, the Energy Council of Canada, together with its member organizations from the public and private
sectors across the region, held a conference on the theme Multiple Pathways to Clean Energy in Western
Canada. The goals of the conference were: to profile the policies and initiatives underway, to better understand
the “lessons learned” and the issues in play, and to find promising solutions towards achieving each jurisdictions’
goals.
The conference bought together 160 attendees on May 8 and 9 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Keynote sessions heard
policy insights from provincial energy and environment ministers from western Canada, and from the federal
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources Canada. Sessions examined three ‘’pathways’’ to
clean energy, two pertaining to the individual jurisdictions, and a third calling for close collaboration to seize an
emerging regional opportunity:
• Transformation of electricity generation: The diversity of the strategies and actions in each jurisdiction
which are greening the generation mix;
• Climate Policy: Each province has implemented climate policies matched to the characteristics of their energy
sectors and their policy design preferences. Issues are the track record to date of emissions reductions, the
impact on energy prices, the interplay between provincial and national policies, and the outlook for carbon
policy in the future.
• Regional collaboration to build a western Canada electricity grid: The opportunity agenda to further
develop the idea of a regional grid, including supply and demand synergies, investments required, the
implications for market operation and regulation, and the critical path ahead.
Keynote Opening Address – Evening Reception, May 8
Opening the reception with warm greetings on behalf of the Government
of Saskatchewan was The Honourable Scott Moe, Minister of the
Environment.
Minister Moe described how the province of Saskatchewan has
implemented measures to address the climate change challenge within
its jurisdiction, while avoiding actions that could affect the competitive
position of the province’s trade-exposed industries. In essence, balancing
the policy goals of environmental sustainability and competitiveness.
The province’s policy goal for the generation sector is aggressive: a
phased approach to achieving 50% of capacity based on renewables by
2030, from the present 25% share. Actions include investment in world-leading, commercial scale carbon capture,
use and storage projects, which have captured 1.5 Mt of CO2 to date and will extend the plant’s operating lifetime,
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and the issuance of a white paper that spells out three pathways on climate change: innovation, mitigation and
adaptation to climatic changes. Since 2005, emissions intensity has decreased by 12% and in the same period the
province’s GDP has increased by 25%.
He noted that the province is at odds with the proposed federal carbon tax, since it would make Saskatchewan’s
industries less competitive, preferring a multiple pathway approach that takes full account of the impacts on
people and industry.
Minister Moe pointed out that Saskatchewan’s technologies and experience in carbon management will be a great
aid to countries which are increasing coal-fired generation to manage their emissions. In parallel, zero-till
agricultural practices in Saskatchewan are increasing soil carbon and reducing fuel consumption.
He closed by underlining the progress made by industry in reducing emissions intensity, an impressive reduction
of 80% less CO2 and 64% less energy in the steel industry, and pointed to Saskatchewan’s leadership position in
technology, innovation and leading-edge carbon management projects.
Highlights from the Program – May 9
Policy directions from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were aired in the Energy Ministers’
Panel chaired by Deborah Yedlin, Business Columnist, Calgary Herald:
• The Honourable Dustin Duncan, Minister of Energy and Resources, Saskatchewan;
• The Honourable Margaret McCuaig-Boyd, Minister of Energy, Alberta; and,
• The Honourable Cliff Cullen, Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade, Manitoba
Minister Duncan underlined the central role that clean
energy plays in Saskatchewan’s future from an economic,
technological and resource perspective. Policies have
been put in place to increase the share of renewables to
50% in Saskatchewan’s energy mix by 2030 and significant
investment in carbon capture and storage technologies,
seen as key elements in making emission reductions
possible for developing countries relying on coal-fired
generation to grow their economies. Exports make up a
significant share of the province’s economy, led by oil,
potash, and uranium.
Preserving Canada’s competitiveness, particularly with respect to trade with US markets was underlined as an
important policy goal. Minister Duncan concluded that energy offers Saskatchewan both a challenge and an
opportunity, and that he looks forward to leading the transition.
Speaking on behalf of the government of Manitoba, Minister Cullen advocated a policy approach that balances
both the economy and the environment simultaneously, not in opposition; further development of the Canadian
Energy Strategy was mentioned as a pathway to pursue. Manitoba’s advantages include a well-established
electricity trade with Minnesota and neighbouring US states, successful innovations in the transportation sector,
a new agency responsible for energy efficiency initiatives, and the creation of a new department responsible for
Sustainable Development. To address climate policy issues, including climate policy, a carbon tax and the impact
on electricity rates, the province will be issuing a framework document as a basis for public dialogue.
Alberta’s energy minister, Margaret McQuaig-Boyd, summarized the elements of the Climate Leadership Plan in
her opening remarks: 30% of generation from renewables by 2030, off coal by 2030, the $30 per tonne carbon
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levy, the fixed limit on GHG emissions from oil sands operations, and methane emission reduction targets.
Offsetting the policy impacts are tax reductions for small businesses, rebates for households and investments in
energy efficiency and green infrastructure. To ensure that sufficient capacity is available when needed in an
electricity system with an increasing share of intermittent renewables, Alberta will be investing in new back-up
capacity based on natural gas. Discussions are underway to develop more interties with neighbouring jurisdictions
to ensure overall system reliability and enhance sustainability.
In the following discussion led by Deborah Yedlin, additional aspects raised were positive prospects for increasing
inter-provincial electricity trade, although it will take time and careful planning, and the necessity of federal
funding for transmission projects to make this possible. To ensure that Canadian companies remain competitive,
maintaining the ongoing energy dialogue between governments in Canada and their U.S. counterparts is essential.
Also cited as a central policy goal was keeping the focus on achieving emission reductions and preserving
competitiveness, while preserving the flexibility of provinces to use a variety of policy tools matched to their
particular situation and policy preferences.
Transformation of the Electricity Generation Mix
A diverse mix of strategies and actions in western Canada are transforming electricity generation, providing an excellent starting point for examining the progress to date, lessons learned, and the impacts to date of the transformations underway.
One interesting aspect will be how each jurisdiction is managing their
increasingly-diverse generation fleet to match requirements in systems
with a combination of centralized, distributed, base load and intermittent
sources, and at the same time, to meet environmental and cost-
effectiveness objectives.
In his opening remarks, Mike Marsh noted that
transformation of a province’s generation mix is a complex
and long-term process. Dimensions in Saskatchewan and
Alberta involve finding ways to continue use of fossil
resources in a clean and sustainable manner, keeping
electricity affordable for consumers and industry, and
keeping an open mind about the various pathways to
clean electricity.
The discussion amongst the panelists revealed several key observations about future electricity systems.
• It is important to remember that the policy goal should be stated simply as aiming for clean, reliable, low-
carbon electricity, without limiting the range of clean generation technologies that could contribute to
achieving the goal.
• Second, all environmental impacts should be considered in addition to GHG emissions, including the full cycle
of producing the fuel, the impacts when it is used for electricity generation, and then disposal of the waste
and by-products.
• Recent progress has been made in the use of electricity storage technologies, particularly as a pathway in
combination with intermittent generation from wind and solar.
• Making the cost of each addition to the electricity system explicit is essential. This is a key component of
decision-making, a means to avoid premature use of costly technology solutions which could further increase
consumers’ electricity bills.
Session Chair: Mike Marsh President and CEO, SaskPower
• Dr. John Barrett, President and CEO,
Canadian Nuclear Association
• Allan Fogwill, President and CEO,
Canadian Energy Research Institute
• Siegfried Kiefer, Chief Strategy Officer,
ATCO Ltd. and Canadian Utilities Limited,
President, Canadian Utilities Limited
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• Access to clean electricity was cited as a fundamental right; on the order of one billion people do not have
access to electricity at all, and another two billion experience very unreliable electricity supply.
• Issues having a bearing on the electricity sector were mentioned by the panelists; the need for collaboration
between jurisdictions to optimize generation and distribution for the region; finding solutions to meet the
varying characteristics of each province (e.g. 75% of Alberta’s load is industrial); and, dealing with the
uncertainties arising in the United States from federal revisions to climate policy, new taxes which could
impact Canada’s energy exports, and market instabilities caused by higher shares of generation from
renewables.
• Small modular reactors were described as an interesting emerging technology option, featuring a small
underground “footprint’’, the ability to operate 24/7 for several years, their suitability for use in remote off-
grid communities and mining sites, and the co-production of heat for industrial applications.
• Maintaining diversity of generation sources was identified as an essential feature of future generation systems
as capacity is increased to meet increases in demand. An example was maintaining generation from natural
gas in systems which are moving to a larger share of renewables.
• A closing comment emphasized that an open dialogue is essential about the optimum mix of generation
sources for electricity systems of the future, taking an explicit, evidence-based account of the impacts on
electricity costs, environmental impacts, and use of a diversity of options including coal with carbon capture,
enhanced by benefits arising from interprovincial trade.
Key points in this session on transformation of the generation mix were the importance of: not pre-determining
or biasing technology choices; developing cost-effective energy storage; choosing a diverse mix of cost-effective
options involving a combination of fossil fuels, nuclear options, and renewables; not over-burdening only the
electricity system with policy initiatives to achieve GHG targets; keeping the public informed and engaged;
avoiding unintended consequences such as reducing competitiveness; and, improving further on Canada’s current
electricity generation sector, which is already 80% emissions-free.
Climate Policy
Each province has implemented climate policies matched to the
characteristics of their energy sector and their policy design
preferences. The range of GHG mitigation policies in place span the
policy spectrum: carbon regulation and the flow of funds to technology
development, major technology investment in carbon capture and
storage, transformation of the electricity generation mix and sectoral
implications, GHG limits on specific sectors, and carbon pricing and cap
and trade regimes.
In parallel, policy initiatives have been implemented to address
adaptation to the impacts of climate change. Examples of impacts are extreme weather events which are becoming more
frequent and more severe, the interplay between energy and water use and availability, and the long-term implication of
climate trends on energy from renewables and hydro.
Session Chair: Martha Hall Findlay President and CEO, Canada West Foundation
• Paul Kariya, Executive Director,
Clean Energy BC
• Jack Mintz, President’s Fellow, School of Public
Policy, University of Calgary
• Leah Nelson-Guay, CEO, First Nations Power Authority of Saskatchewan
• Dave Sawyer, Environmental Economist, EnviroEconomics
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Issues discussed were the track record to date of emissions
reductions, the impact on energy pricing, the interplay
between provincial and national policies, and the outlook for
carbon policy in the future.
The challenges, opportunities, and complexities of the
various climate policies across the country were discussed by
the panelists.
• BC’s carbon tax, which has been set at $30 per tonne
since 2012 from $10 per tonne in 2008, applies to
transportation fuels, home heating, and electricity. It is
generally seen as a success story for carbon policy.
Although the decrease in GHG emissions is frequently
attributed to the carbon tax, complicating factors are the changing make-up of the BC economy and changes
in consumer preferences.
• Making the cost of carbon explicit in discussions of carbon policy options would result in a better-informed
understanding of the broader economic implications of particular policy options.
• The suite of climate policies in place today will not limit temperature increase to the targeted 2o C limit; an
increase of 3.5o C is more likely.
• Climate policy design should ideally focus on achieving actual GHG reductions at the lowest possible cost
through actions determined in the energy market in order to preserve competitiveness and to limit the
increases in energy prices for consumers. For example, the analysis of options should consider whether it
makes sense to phase out coal-fired electricity or rather make use of carbon capture and storage and other
emission reduction technologies so that coal-fired generation from existing plants can continue.
Consideration of ways to maintain competitiveness needs to include all policies affecting a sector, not only
the addition of new climate policies.
• Other carbon policy aspects to avoid are policies which negatively impact provincial and national
competitiveness, stacking on costs arising from provincial and federal policies, and ‘’start-stop’’ policy swings
or reversals by successive governments which create confusion and disruption for decision-making involving
long-term pathways and associated investments.
• There are social dimensions of implementing carbon policies for Canada’s First Nations which must be
considered. For First Nations communities, the discussion of the many social dimensions must start and
continue with honour, trust, and respect. This approach will foster genuine, value-based cooperation
between indigenous peoples, governments, and energy companies which includes consideration of education,
health care, and demographic dimensions.
• Greater use of renewable energy technologies is consistent with First Nations’ interests and many
opportunities for projects creating business opportunities are being pursued.
• Policies to increase procurement by project developers and governments of goods, services and labour from
First Nations’ communities and companies open promising pathways.
• One important missing ingredient is a means to monitor the impact of climate policies. Collection, analysis
and reporting of comprehensive and reliable data for this purpose is critically needed. A commission to
develop recommendations for Canada-wide collection and posting of comprehensive energy data was
recommended.
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Key points raised in this session were the need for: national leadership acting altruistically in Canada’s best
interest; engaging politicians in the federal, provincial and municipal governments; some way to consolidate the
results from the diverse mix of policies which have emerged to date; recognition of the implicit carbon prices and
social impacts arising from individual policy initiatives; and, a source of comprehensive and reliable data which
reveals the actual reductions achieved, the cost per tonne, and the broader economic impacts.
Keynote Luncheon Address
An excellent overview of federal energy policy and recent government
initiatives was provided by Ms. Kim Rudd, Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Natural Resources, Government of Canada.
Ms. Rudd opened her remarks by noting the importance of the partnership
between government and Canada’s indigenous peoples.
Generation Energy was launched on April 21, consisting of cross-Canada
consultation over the next six-months to help answer the question: what
does a clean, prosperous, and affordable energy economy that preserves our
competitive position and is reflective of our values look like in 2050, and what
are the milestones to make progress to that end? Aspects that will have a
bearing on Canada’s energy future are many: our capacity to innovate with
the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance being one example; the most recent federal Innovation Budget with
funds identified for energy projects and energy technology development; our commitment to the 2015 Paris
Agreement on Climate Change; energy’s central role as the source of 80% of Canada’s GHG emissions; and, new
uses for captured CO2 in commercial products. Ms. Rudd underlined the important role to be played by energy
efficiency improvement, which have the potential to eliminate almost half of Canada’s current emissions.
Ms. Rudd closed her keynote address by profiling the federal government’s Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth
and Climate Change policy, designed to meet our emissions reduction target and grow the economy. The plan includes a
pan-Canadian approach to pricing carbon pollution, phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation, and measures to
achieve reductions across all sectors of the economy. It also aims to drive innovation and growth – increase technology
development and adoption to ensure Canadian businesses are competitive in
the global low-carbon economy.
Regional Electricity Grid in Western Canada
To date, electricity generation, transmission, and distribution have been
largely provincial matters, coupled with north-south electricity trade with
neighbouring jurisdictions in the northern United States.
Dialogue is underway on the idea of expanding electricity trade amongst the
western provinces. A regional electricity transmission system would enable
an increase in generation from hydropower, to more readily share generation
from renewables across the region, to meet peak load in one jurisdiction in
times of low demand in a neighbouring jurisdiction, and to increase supply
diversity.
The opportunity agenda was described and a good discussion followed on
developing the idea of a regional grid further. Elements discussed were
Session Chair: Kelvin Shepherd, President and CEO, Manitoba Hydro
• David Boyd, Vice President,
Government and Regulatory Affairs,
Midcontinent Independent System
Operator
• Keith Cronkhite, Senior Vice
President, Business
Development and Strategic
Planning, NB Power
• Jerry Mossing, Vice President,
Transmission,
Alberta Electricity System Operator
• Niall O’Dea, Director General,
Electricity Resources Branch, NRCan
• Doug Opseth, Director,
Supply Planning and Integration,
SaskPower
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studies into the features of a regional grid, investment which will be needed in new generation, market control and
regulation, and the critical pathway ahead.
• The session opened with an illustration of the extensive ongoing electricity trade in a north-south direction between
Canadian provinces and neighbouring U.S. states. In
comparison, the current east-west flow of electricity is very
limited. In addition to facilitating electricity trade, the
benefits of an enhanced regional grid in western Canada
include synergies involving a variety of generation sources
to satisfy differing patterns of demand, greater reliability,
preservation of competitiveness as a result of lower
electricity prices, and greater security of the overall electricity system.
• Electricity was identified as a cornerstone component of the federal government’s Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean
Growth and Climate Change. NRCan sees itself as a facilitator, ready to enhance opportunities for regional
collaboration and provide financing of up to $29 billion during the next eight years to help make projects happen.
Arrangements could be in the form of bilateral agreements with the provinces, support from the new Infrastructure
Bank, and targeted programs which develop new energy technologies.
• An important new federal-provincial study, The Regional Electricity Cooperation and Strategic Infrastructure Initiative
(RECSI), has been launched. The main objective is to evaluate and rank the most promising electricity infrastructure
projects in the Western provinces with the potential to assist Alberta and Saskatchewan transition to a sustainable
non-emitting electricity generation portfolio. The study will examine ways to access additional hydroelectric
generation, to displace coal-fired generation, to increase generation from other renewable energy technologies, and
to develop options for electricity storage. The RESCI report is due at the end of 2017.
• Implementation of the dramatic changes under Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan is underway. The plan calls for 30%
of generation from renewables by 2030; the first call is for an incremental 400MW of generation from renewables.
The coal phase out is underway, aiming for elimination of the current 6,300 MW of coal-fired generation by no later
than 2030, including for plants that have end-of-life dates after 2030. Alberta has the lowest amount of
interconnection to neighbouring markets, making the prospect of increasing interconnections attractive.
• The challenges associated with Saskatchewan’s transformation of the generation mix include: meeting a growing
demand; aging generation and transmission infrastructure; regulatory uncertainty around coal phase out; and, the
important task of keeping electricity prices affordable in order to preserve the province’s competitive position.
Saskatchewan has set the aggressive goal of 50% of generation from renewables in 2030 (including 30% from wind).
The province sees the advantages of a regional grid in providing back-up in the event of outages, an opportunity to
sell excess power to neighbouring markets. Additional capital from sources outside the province will be needed to
create new interconnected transmission capacity.
• In addition to the federal-provincial dialogue underway about a western regional electricity grid, there is a parallel
dialogue underway with the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward
Island in eastern Canada.
• Interprovincial and international electricity trade are well-established in Atlantic Canada, soon to be enhanced by the
Maritime Link transmission system linking Newfoundland and Labrador to the Nova Scotia grid. Connections to
northeastern U.S. states will need to be expanded to handle the anticipated increase in export-import flows. An
example of interconnections between two neighbouring provinces is the successful Joint Dispatch Project operated
by NB Power and Nova Scotia Power.
• Regional electricity trade is well developed through the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) which
provides open-access transmission service and monitors the high-voltage transmission system throughout the
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Midwest and Southern United States, and also with Manitoba; 125,000MW of generating capacity in a region with 42
million people. The MISO is an excellent source of advice and ‘’lessons learned’’ to guide discussions to develop
increased regional interconnections in western Canada.
• Observations made in the panel’s discussion was that there is a much greater need to develop province-to-province
interconnections in order to meet the generation transformation goals set by Alberta and Saskatchewan, and to
maintain voltage and frequency regulation in systems with an increased share of intermittent generation.
• New tariff agreements will be needed to facilitate interprovincial electricity trade; Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British
Columbia have open access arrangements in contrast to Alberta.
• While the concept of an interconnected system amongst the four western provinces is an attractive, long-term goal,
it is likely that the first projects will create enhanced bilateral connections between BC and Alberta and Saskatchewan
and Manitoba.
• Public policy aspects that need to be addressed are to convince people of the value equation arising from increased
electricity trade with their neighbouring provinces, the increase in investment and jobs for construction of new
transmission lines, and ways to offset the loss of jobs that will occur as coal is phased out and replaced in part by
natural gas.
To summarize, there is a significant opportunity at hand to substantially increase the interconnections between
Canada’s western provinces. Enhanced reliability and grid stability, enabling the transformation from coal-based
generation systems to a greater share of clean generation, and profiting from sale of excess power to a
neighbouring jurisdiction were seen as advantages of increased electricity trade. Requirements to make this
happen were cited as significant; new financing from the federal government for new transmission capacity;
convincing the public of the advantages of increased trade; and, providing support for workers and company
towns impacted negatively by the transition from coal to a cleaner generation mix.
Closing Session: An Energy Conversation
Martha Hall Findlay, President and CEO, Canada West Foundation,
and Deborah Yedlin, Business Editor for the Calgary Herald, joined
Graham Campbell on the stage for a closing ‘’energy
conversation’’. They shared thoughts on some ‘’take aways’’ from
the Keynote Addresses and the three Panel Sessions, reflected on
the overall theme, identified some aspects which had been
overlooked, and suggested key elements to move forward on ‘’pathways to clean energy in western Canada’’.
Commenting on what had been heard during the day, the panelists made several important observations:
• Policy initiatives to date by provincial governments have resulted in a diverse array of goals, strategic
directions, and programs. While recognized as a consequence of the provinces’ leading role on energy,
fragmentation and the lack of any signs of coordination will limit the prospect of achieving Canada’s emissions
reduction goals.
• Often overlooked in the policy fray is the important goal of not undermining Canada’s competitiveness in
North American markets and globally. This risk is exacerbated by the as yet unknown energy policy directions
of the U.S. administration and their potential impact on the energy sector in Canada.
• Another factor bearing significantly on the future of the energy sector is regulatory uncertainty, particularly
for major energy projects which open pathways to export markets for Canadian energy commodities. The
recently-released task force report on assessment of impacts from resource projects has increased concerns
amongst energy stakeholders. Ensuring that regulatory decisions are the responsibility of independent
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agencies, acting in accordance with their government’s legislation, was recommended as the best pathway
forward.
• Coming to grips with effective ways to earn public acceptance for major energy projects and raising public
energy awareness will foster a more informed and inclusive approach.
• Social media was seen as both beneficial, facilitating dialogue with a broad and diverse cross-section of
interests and demographics, and also as a purveyor of false and misleading information, often resulting in
mobilization of widespread negative positioning on energy matters.
• An aspect overlooked in the conference is the role that technology is playing now to reduce environmental
impacts and the impact of as-yet-unknown potential of new breakthrough technologies. These could
significantly reduce emissions from upstream oil and gas production and end-use applications. They dispelled
the false notion that the energy sector is “old tech”; in fact, the exact opposite is true, citing the “digital
oilfield” as one example.
Closing Summary
General observations from the discussion during the event complete the highlights:
• There is alignment on the principle that a prudent balance can be achieved on the dual pathways of developing
Canada’s natural resources, and at the same time, protecting and preserving the environment.
• The design of climate change policies needs to take other policy considerations and strategic goals in to careful
consideration. The example of potentially-negative impact of climate policies on provincial competitiveness was
mentioned frequently, particularly impacts on trade-exposed sectors of the economy and the consequence of higher
electricity prices on profitability.
• The social impacts arising from implementing climate policies need more attention. For policies and projects affecting
Canada’s First Nations, early and open dialogue built on the values of honour, trust and respect is essential.
• There is abundant evidence of continuing leadership by the western provinces in designing and implementing a wide
range of climate policies. Noteworthy examples of in-place initiatives are B.C.’s carbon tax, carbon regulation in
Alberta, world-leading technology investment in Saskatchewan, aggressive transformations of the electricity
generation mix, and energy efficiency programs in Manitoba.
• Strong recommendations to policy-makers are to make explicit the cost per tonne of each GHG reduction policy, and
also the potential economy-wide implications of new policy initiatives.
• Governments need to make a concerted effort to "keep the public with them" as they introduce and implement carbon
policies, reducing the risk of losing public support.
• Policy-makers should set targets for emissions reductions but not subscribe or limit the types of technologies available
to companies; that is, no "picking winners" or "eliminating technologies". Examples were given of technology
pathways that should remain open for consideration: continued use of coal-fired generation using carbon capture
technology, and small modular reactors for community-scale and remote industrial applications.
• A source of comprehensive, current and reliable data is needed now to enable objective evaluation of quantifiable
GHG reductions, cost per tonne, and economy-wide implications of carbon policies.
• There is cautious interest in the development of a regional electricity grid in western Canada. While there are clearly
recognized benefits, including improved reliability, meeting peak supply requirement, and opportunities for
moderating increases in electricity prices, there are concerns arising about the source of the large financial
investments needed to develop new regional transmission infrastructure and about the need to make the public policy
case for the benefits of new interconnections with neighbouring provinces.
• Funding for collaborative electricity infrastructure projects is available from initiatives announced in the federal
government’s 2017 Innovation Budget, and studies are underway, involving provincial governments, an electricity
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system operator, and several provincial utilities across western Canada, to identify promising opportunities to increase
bilateral and regional interconnections to facilitate increased electricity trade.
• Major challenges remaining are the design of a regulatory process for major energy projects that is inclusive, timely
and objective, and working together to develop an “altruistic national approach’’ to climate policy that respects the
role of provincial governments and the over-arching role of the federal government and moves towards solutions that
are in the best interest of Canada.
In closing, the Energy Council of Canada appreciates the excellent contributions made by the event planning committee,
and the Keynote Speakers, Session Chairs and panelists in making this event on Multiple Pathways to Clean Energy:
Canada’s Western Provinces a success.
We welcome feedback on this highlights report and we look forward to continuing dialogue in the future as the Energy
Council works to fulfill its vision of an affordable, stable and environmentally-sound energy system providing the greatest
benefit for all Canadians.
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The Energy Council of Canada is very pleased to thank the organizations which provided financial support for this
event and to our annual sponsors for their support of our activities during the year.
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