For well over a century Canada’s electric power sector has made profound contributions to the country’s economy and to raise the quality of life of Canadians. Starting as a distributed group of investor-owned isolated grids, the electricity system has evolved into a complex physical and human network, integrating power generating and transmission infrastructure, electricity end users, public and private enterprises, and utility regulators. The electricity industry has evolved in a conservative and controlled manner to minimize costs and to ensure reliability. Major changes to the way the electricity system is built and operated has happened in decadal intervals. The Canadian electricity sector is now approaching one of those junctures. Many electricity assets are approaching their end of life and must be replaced to satisfy the growing demand. Concerns about environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and land use impacts have exerted pressure on the way electricity is generated and transported. On the other hand, recent technological developments in electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and storage have provided us options to transform the electricity sector, minimizing its environmental impacts and increasing access. However, such transformation is complicated by the capital stock of electricity infrastructure, uncertainty in future fuel prices and environmental regulations, and public perceptions of different technologies. This CERI conference aims to provide a forum of key industry players, public policy makers, and the general public to explore challenges and opportunities that the Canadian electricity sector is facing over the next three decades.
