The Canada Electricity Advisory Council
The Government of Canada is committed to moving away from unabated fossil fuels and achieving net-zero emissions in the electricity sector by 2035. The Government of Canada is also committed to rapidly expanding the clean electricity grid to meet the increasing demand for electricity in order to support a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. This vision is articulated in Powering Canada Forward: Building a Clean, Affordable, and Reliable Electricity System for Every Region of Canada, released on August 8, 2023.
In order to fulfill these goals, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources created the Canada Electricity Advisory Council in May 2023 (the Electricity Council).
The Electricity Council’s mission and core mandate
The Electricity Council is an independent, electricity-sector focussed, expert advisory body that provides advice to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources to accelerate investment, and promote sustainable, affordable, and reliable electricity systems. The Electricity Council will examine and provide expert advice on key issues related to governance and decision-making – ultimately helping federal, provincial, territorial and industry stakeholders, and Indigenous partners drive progress towards 2035 and 2050 net-zero objectives. The Electricity Council’s work will respect the jurisdictional role of the provinces and territories in electricity sector decision-making and draw on work done at the provincial and territorial levels, as well as by utilities and Indigenous partners.
The Electricity Council will prepare and deliver a report outlining its analysis and recommendations to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in 2024.
Interim Report
This Interim Report represents the Council’s initial findings and preliminary recommendations, based on discussions and information gathering from May to October 2023.
Council’s Five Focus Areas
The Council’s work is aligned around the following five core themes and its findings will inform national, provincial, and territorial efforts to promote sustainable, affordable, and reliable electricity systems.
- Improving planning and oversight of electricity systems;
- Attracting capital investments to clean electricity projects and maintaining affordability for consumers;
- Ensuring that electricity infrastructure can be built in a timely manner and in ways that benefit Indigenous partners;
- Enhancing regional cooperation to take advantage of efficient, low-cost pathways to a net-zero grid; and
- Enabling electricity market innovations that can reduce the cost and risk of the energy transition while maintaining grid reliability and resiliency.
Electricity Council members
The Electricity Council is comprised of independent electricity sector experts who represent a cross-section of leaders in the areas of regulatory policy and institutions, clean energy technology and innovation, socio-economic issues, Indigenous communities, and intergovernmental affairs. Members have diverse and complementary backgrounds and come from all regions of Canada. In their participation on the Electricity Council, members represent themselves independently from any organization that they are employed by or affiliated with.
News and engagement
Between December 12, 2023 and January 24, 2024, the Electricity Council solicited stakeholder assistance on crafting recommendations to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources on what’s needed to support provinces, territories and others to achieve Canada’s net-zero emissions goals in the electricity sector as a part of a Clean Electricity Strategy.
Learn more about the engagement.
Do you have questions on the Council’s work? Please send us an email at: CEAC-CCCE@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
News: Read the press release announcing the launch of the Electricity Council.
Associated Links
- Powering Canada Forward: Building a Clean, Affordable, and Reliable Electricity System for Every Region of Canada
- 2030 Emission Reductions Plan
- Clean Electricity Regulations
- Regional Electricity Cooperation and Strategic Infrastructure (RECSI) Initiative
- Net-Zero Advisory Body (NZAB)
- Regional Energy and Resource Tables
- The Electricity Council Terms of Reference
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