Innovation and Canada’s Energy Policy and Regulatory Frameworks

The need to reduce the GHG emissions that are a major cause of climate change is driving the rise in renewable energy globally. In Canada, the rise in the production and use of renewable energy resources comes as the cost of Distributed Energy Resources (efficiency, renewables, storage, control systems for demand reduction and renewables integration) is falling. The tipping point between the falling cost of DER and traditional energy systems and fuels is now between 5 and 10 years away. In a Discussion Paper published by QUEST and Pollution Probe, energy policy, utility and regulatory experts report the implications of such a tipping point are not well understood. The Discussion Paper outlines the scope of the challenge in the various provinces and territories and the urgency of the need to speed up the pace of learning to meet the pace of tech change. Our success in finding ways to test, learn and apply lessons learned, will dictate whether Canada is able to manage an energy evolution or face a very disruptive revolution.