Current Affairs | Electricity Canada

Issue 51 - March 2023

Electricity Canada's state of the industry report "Build it"

Build it - the 2023 state of the Canadian electricity industry was launched at the GLOBExCHANGE on February 28. Current Affairs talked to Electricity Canada President and CEO, Francis Bradley about the state of the industry report, and the issues facing electricity providers in the coming year.

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Hi Francis. The theme for the state of the Canadian electricity industry report is “Build it”. Can you describe why this embodies the overall theme of the report for 2023?

We have known for a number of years, exactly what needs to be done to be able to meet the commitments for the 2050 net zero economy and the 2035 net zero electricity grid. But the clock is ticking and the urgency to be able to actually deliver upon that dream is getting more and more challenging the longer we wait. The only way we can try to deliver upon that dream is to move quickly to build it now. We have 4705 days as of right now [when the interview was conducted]. As of March 2nd 2023, there are 4687 days.

The report states that one of the greatest dilemmas for electricity companies is that the more we rely on electricity, the more reliable we will need electricity to be. How are our members preparing to face this challenge?

On the one hand we talk about that as a dilemma, but, on the other hand, it’s the challenge of every significant technological advancement. When we introduced the automobile 120 years ago people were asking, what are we going to do because suddenly we are going to be more reliant on automobiles? The internet – I recall a decade and a half ago people were saying, ‘when everything goes on the internet the criticality of the internet is going to be enormous.’ But we seem to manage.

Our members and the sector will work with this like with every other massive transformation. They will build in what needs to be built in to be able to provide the level of reliability that’s going to be required. This will be very much like some of the other technological transformations we’ve seen; the internet, telephones, transportation… As these become more common and society depends upon them more, their reliability becomes evermore important. what happened with previous technological changes is the same thing that is going to happen with this one. We will build in the kind of reliability that will be required.

It is true, though, that reliability is going to be that much more important. That is the system we are going to building and it’s a different system than the one that was built 100 years ago.

On January 1st of this year there were 4748 days until Canada is expected to reach a net zero electricity grid. What are the opportunities our industry can leverage to meet this goal?

When you do the math -- whether it’s the 2035 math or the 2050 math -- one thing becomes abundantly clear. The only way for the math to work is for all options to be on the table. What the electricity sector is going to have to do is pursue every single kilowatt of non-emitting/low-emitting electricity, pursue every opportunity to increase connectivity across the network where there is transmission and distribution, right down to the end customer and work with the end customer to ensure that they are being as efficient as possible and improve the reliability.

I think members are going to be pursuing all of those areas, whether it’s on the generation side, the massive uptake and increase in wind, solar and storage, further building upon our strengths in nuclear and in hydropower… New technologies like marine renewables, offshore winds, all of these things absolutely are going to be required.

We are going to have to interconnect the system. Transmission is going to become increasingly important as well. And this goes back to your earlier question, ‘how do we ensure that the system will be more reliable as we use more electricity’? Well one of the ways to do that is to further increase the integration of systems – so that means more transmission, more interconnection between distribution, it also means more local solutions as well and end customer solutions.

What is the main thing you want readers to take away from this report?

What we want the reader to be left with is two things: a sense of urgency and a sense of optimism.

We really do need to move and to move quickly. We have a dream of a clean future. When you think of what a net zero economy wide 2050 future looks like, that’s a dream of a better, cleaner, more reliable future. And to deliver upon that dream we need to feel a sense of urgency to get on with it and to get on with it immediately.

I want people to be left with a sense of optimism of what that future really will look like. Let’s recognize that this is a dream that is going to benefit society writ large. Look at what happened in Ontario when we eliminated coal, the biggest impact from the elimination of coal, you can find in children’s hospitals. There was a huge reduction in kids that have problems breathing. We significantly increased the air quality in Ontario over the last two decades. Think of that, and what will leave lasting impacts to society as a whole if we are actually able to move to a net zero economy and eliminate or offset the use of fossil fuels. If eliminating coal had that significant improvement in terms of quality of life for people, moving to a net zero world, that vision of a cleaner, brighter, future is the other thing I would like people to walk away with.

Read the full report here. For more information on net zero, check out our new video here.

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Metering Legislative Modernization Consultation Announced
Electricity Canada submits brief for pre-budget consultation ahead of Budget 2023
Electricity Canada Hosts EV Customer Experience Forum
North American Electric Reliability Corporation Q1 Board & Member Representatives Committee Meetings
Canusa Street Podcast: Shocking Integration
Electricity Canada Presents: DataBytes
International Women’s Day Takeover on the Flux Capacitor
Electrifying the Future: Innovative Solutions to Support the Clean Grid Panel
Electricity Canada Customer Council and Corporate Partner Event
Reliability and Resiliency Award applications are now open
Women in Electricity Award application deadline has been extended
Electricity Canada Welcomes Two New Corporate Partners
Winners of the 2022 SCC Awards

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Issue 50 - February 2023

Indigenous Initiatives Report "Taking Action: Collaborating with Indigenous Communities"

Current Affairs recently interviewed Channa Perera, Vice President, Regulatory and Indigenous Affairs about the latest edition of Electricity Canada’s member Indigenous engagement publication, “Taking Action: Collaborating with Indigenous Communities”.

Hi Channa. Taking Action starts by saying that Indigenous inclusion within the electricity sector has grown in the past few years. Is there a particular area that excites you in this regard?

As much as I’d like to pick one area of growth, each of the four pillars and initiatives listed in the report – education/training, employment, business partnerships and capacity building – excite me because they all contribute in their own unique way to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. There has been a significant growth in the engagement and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples over the last decade. I am very encouraged by the ingenuity of the member initiatives aimed at enriching Indigenous communities and advancing reconciliation.

Member initiatives listed in this report is a response to Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)’s Calls to Action. What are some of the ways the electricity sector have meaningfully engaged with the TRC’s Calls to Action?

Just to offer some context, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on the corporate sector to step-up their action on Indigenous consultations, build meaningful relationships, provide equitable employment and training, and advance education of management and staff on Indigenous history. The TRC has really given the sector a clear focus and I am very much heartened by the response of our members.

We’re making significant progress on issues related to cultural awareness training, as well as support for Indigenous education, training and employment; establishing equity and other forms of economic partnerships, including procurement contracts; and building local Indigenous capacity so they can engage with us as equal partners.

Canada is committed to making its electricity grid net zero by 2035. What is the role of engagement with Indigenous Peoples in achieving this goal?

Successfully meeting Canada’s net zero goals is an arduous challenge to begin with, but without meaningful Indigenous engagement-especially consultation and benefits-sharing-this will be an impossible task to achieve. We need to continue to invest in initiatives to raise awareness of Indigenous cultural values and ways of decision-making, education, training and employment. Most importantly, we need to make efforts to enable their full economic participation through access to capital. We’re off to a good start, but make no mistake, governments and industry have a lot of work to do to enable full Indigenous economic participation in Canada’s net zero transition.

What is the main thing you want readers to take away from this report?

The key takeaway from this report is that the electricity industry is taking demonstrable action to advance Indigenous reconciliation in Canada. I hope this report can inform and inspire companies, both inside the electricity industry and outside of it, to take meaningful action to advance reconciliation so that we can contribute to a more inclusive and just society.

Electricity Canada presents the Women in Electricity Award

In collaboration with Women of Powerline Technicians (Women of PLT), Electricity Canada is launching a new award recognizing leaders within our member companies that are making a tangible difference in creating an environment that will help advance women in the electricity sector.

This award celebrates an individual or team from an Electricity Canada member company for advancing women in utility organizational structures, processes, and inclusionary outcomes that result in more women working in member companies across Canada.

The Canadian electricity sector, like many other economic sectors in Canada, is working diligently to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I). Electricity Canada has been recognizing the important work and dedication that our member companies have demonstrated over the years in creating, fostering, and advancing inclusive workforces. In December 2020, Electricity Canada released a Board-approved, industry-wide collective commitment to accelerating ED&I in the electricity industry and has been working closely with members on new initiatives, advancements, and recognizing the people who are paving the way.

Award nominations are open until February 28th 2023, and can be submitted as a self-nomination, by a colleague, or by another Electricity Canada member.

Criteria for Nominees:

Open to all Electricity Canada members in good standing.
Nominee has demonstrated clear leadership, commitment, and positive impact in advancing women in Canada’s electricity sector.
Nominee has demonstrated a consistent track record of championing women in their organizations, leading to clear improvements regarding ED&I in their companies.
The winner will be announced during Electricity Canada's 2023 Labour Relations Symposium.

Rethink, Reimagine, and Renew: Our Energy Future – Electricity Canada’s Annual Powering Partnerships Summit

As a sector, we are facing climate targets that will not be met if we continue to rely on historical approaches and traditional solutions. In order to achieve a net zero electricity grid by 2035 and a net zero economy by 2050, we will need to rethink and reimagine the future of electricity in Canada.

On November 23, 2022, Electricity Canada hosted our annual Powering Partnerships Summit, which brought together energy experts, innovators, and leaders to help us Rethink, Reimagine and Renew our energy future.

Monica Gattinger, Chair of Positive Energy at the University of Ottawa, Rob Lister, President and CEO of Oakville Enterprises Corporation and Andrea Roszell, Director at Guidehouse joined our first panel to share their insights and ideas on how business is changing to meet the demands of the future and what is required for us to ensure a net zero tomorrow.

We will also need to renew our relationships with Indigenous Communities, government, and leaders from across all sectors, to reach our goals and meet our timelines.

Jesse McCormick from the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, Tabatha Bull from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, Guy Lonechild from the First Nations Power Authority and Brian Schmidt from Tamarack Valley Energy, joined Manitoba Hydro's President and CEO Jay Grewal, to share what works and what doesn’t and talked about new approaches and recommendations. Renewing these relationships will help to improve our electricity systems today, while safeguarding the prosperity, health, and well-being of generations tomorrow.

The Summit concluded with a live recording of top Canadian political podcast, “The Herle Burly,” featuring discussions on electrification and decarbonization with Shawn McCarthy from Sussex Strategy, Jason Dion from the Canadian Climate Institute and Greg Lyle from Innovative Research Group. The conversation is available here.

Electricity. For the Future.

Electricity plays an important role in getting Canada to net zero emissions and reducing the impacts of climate change.

With that in mind, Electricity Canada is happy to announce the launch of a new section on our website, dedicated to educating the public on the basics of net zero, and the role of electricity in the collective fight against climate change.

This new resource explains net zero in simple terms using a video, an infographic, a timeline of the past, present, and future of climate change legislation, a tour of our
members' (Canadian electricity companies) projects and more!

The release of our new website tab coincides with the launch of Electricity Canada’s Fall Net Zero advertising campaign. This consumer-focused campaign continues to build on the messaging that Electricity

Canada members are leading our country’s efforts to tackle climate change, with the new tagline: “Electricity. For the Future.”
Learn more at www.netzerofuture.ca

"In an emergency, it's all hands on deck"

We expect the worst when hurricane season comes, but even then, the devastation caused by tropical storm Fiona far exceeded even those expectations. The storm hit the east coast with heavy rain and winds of over 170 km/h that left hundreds of thousands across the Atlantic provinces without power, $300 to $700 million worth of insured losses to the local economy, several injured, and a few dead. It has been also estimated that infrastructure restoration could take months.

Fiona also hit the electricity grid hard. At least 500,000 customers throughout the Altantic provinces had no power.

Since then, power has largely been restored to the majority of affected customers thanks, in part, to the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group (NAMAG). This group works to connect electricity providers needing help repairing their grid with neighboring utilities that can spare personnel and resources.

As of last week, Nova Scotia Power received assistance from electricity providers in Canada and the U.S. including:

Versant Power: a supervisor, 15 line workers and two mechanics from Bangor, Maine
Central Maine Power: Sixteen two-person crews along with 10 additional support personnel are heading north with 14 bucket trucks and two digger trucks
Hydro Ottawa: 15 power line technicians, a crew supervisor, safety partner, fleet mechanic, and 10 vehicles, including five bucket trucks and two radial boom derricks
“When an emergency occurs, it's all hands on deck,” said Electricity Canada President and CEO Francis Bradley in a recent interview with POLITICO. “It doesn't matter where you are, we send crews to wherever they're needed in those emergencies.”

Electricity Canada's state of the industry report "Build it"

Indigenous Initiatives Report "Taking Action: Collaborating with Indigenous Communities"

Other stories

Electricity Canada presents the Women in Electricity Award

Other stories

Rethink, Reimagine, and Renew: Our Energy Future – Electricity Canada’s Annual Powering Partnerships Summit

Other stories

Electricity. For the Future.

Other stories

"In an emergency, it's all hands on deck"

Other stories

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