As Canada accelerates plans to expand and electrify its economy, one issue is moving to the forefront: reliability.
First, let’s look at what’s happening in Ontario.
The province has introduced new legislation to strengthen grid planning, expand transmission corridors, and draw in private investment for storage and backup systems. The move comes as electricity usage in the province hit highs not seen since 2013, with this summer’s extreme heat driving demand to record levels and pushing household bills higher.
Reliable energy is the infrastructure you never notice until you do. During extreme heat or severe winter cold, the loss of cooling and heating systems, in homes or hospitals can threaten health and even be fatal. Businesses also lose productivity and revenue when energy is unreliable.
The work to make Canada’s grids more resilient is already underway, but analysts warn that delays in planning or investment could leave households exposed to higher costs and greater risk of being left in the dark.
In Ontario, this summer’s ongoing heat waves broke records, and the Independent Electricity System Operator says the temperature reached 30 degrees 10 times last year. This year, that number was topped 24 times. That puts the grid under pressure, and to put that in context: Last year’s highest day of electricity demand has already been surpassed eight times this year.
This is not just an issue that hits during summer heatwaves. On the coldest days in Ontario, electricity alone can’t meet demand either. Natural gas fills the gap. It delivers four to five times more energy than the power system during peak conditions and remains essential to reliability. Michele Harradence, EVP and President of Gas Distribution and Storage at Enbridge, explains why energy diversity is critical to keeping systems dependable.
The pressures are not unique to Ontario.
In British Columbia, the provincial government has signalled it would continue to back the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), despite the move by the federal government to remove the EV mandate (more on that below). More EVs on the road puts more pressure on the grid for charging. Last year, the Fraser Institute reported that growing demand for electricity for EV charging could require the build of 10 new mega dams or 13 new gas plants to keep the grid reliable.
With growing pressure on the grid, reliability is going to need a balanced energy mix, including natural gas, hydro, nuclear, and renewables. Engaged women across Canada support an energy mix that includes all types of energy because it offers affordability, reliability, and prosperity.