Prime Minister Carney announces forthcoming National Electricity Strategy

Press Release

May 14, 2026

The world is changing rapidly. The United States is upending global trade, wars are ongoing in Europe and the Middle East, artificial intelligence is scaling at speed, and climate change is intensifying. In response, Canada’s new government is focused on what we can control: building an affordable, competitive, and sustainable Canadian economy. Central to this mission is supplying and controlling our own energy.

Electricity is the clear solution to Canada’s energy security, affordability, and competitiveness. Canada already has an 80% clean grid and some of the lowest electricity costs in the G7. As our economy and our industries become more energy-intensive, electricity demand in Canada is expected to double by 2050. This is an enormous opportunity for Canada to build a sustainable, affordable future.

To that end, Canada’s new government is launching a new National Electricity Strategy. This plan will double the capacity of our grid by 2050 and supply clean, reliable, affordable power across the country for decades to come. To develop this strategy, today, we are launching consultations with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, utilities, and unions. Over the next few months, we will work together to identify the actions needed to double our grid most effectively and affordably.

This transformation will not only build a more sustainable Canada, but also a more affordable Canada. Canada’s National Electricity Strategy could deliver up to $15 billion in total energy savings by 2050 and lower total energy costs for 7 in 10 Canadian households. Realising these savings will require a willingness to use a wide range of energy – including natural gas. That’s why we intend to adjust clean electricity regulations to provide the flexibility needed to keep energy costs for all Canadian families reliable and affordable, while reducing emissions and building the clean energy system of the future.

This strategy will require major investments to generate more clean energy, connect our fragmented electricity grids, train and retain tens of thousands of skilled Canadian workers, and strengthen Canadian manufacturing so more of the technologies powering our grid are made here at home.

The strategy will be guided by four pillars:

Build the infrastructure needed to double Canada’s electricity generation
- This will require generational investments in generation, transmission, distribution, storage, and grid modernisation. These new consultations will explore how to most effectively finance the build-out, to spread the costs over time to match the benefits, keeping energy affordable and our country competitive.
Connect Canada’s fragmented grids East-West-North through new and expanded transmission lines
- Canada’s electricity system is currently fragmented across provincial and territorial grids, costing us billions of dollars in outages, duplicative infrastructure, and wasted power. These consultations will tackle common barriers to interprovincial interties so we can unite our grids and deliver more reliable, affordable power to all Canadians.
Train, attract, and retain the talent needed to build the grid of the future
- Doubling the grid will require more than 130,000 high-skilled workers by 2050. Through these consultations, the federal government will work with industry, labour, and training partners to develop solutions to train, attract, and retain the talent needed to build and maintain the grid of the future.
Make more of the technologies and components powering our grid here at home
- As we build the clean economy of the future, Canada’s new government is ensuring our industries can bridge to seize its opportunities. These consultations will explore how to grow domestic manufacturing capacity so that more of the components powering our grid are made in Canada.

As part of our comprehensive focus on affordability, we are also expanding support for energy-saving retrofits for up to one million households through financing, grants, and complementary measures. This includes making it easier for Canadians to transition from expensive propane, oil, and electric baseboard heating to more affordable electric heat pumps.

The work of doubling our grid is already underway. Through the Major Projects Office (MPO), we are advancing clean electricity generation projects – including hydroelectric projects like the Taltson Hydro Expansion in the Northwest Territories and the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project in Nunavut, nuclear generation projects such as Darlington New Nuclear in Ontario, clean electricity transmission lines like the North Coast Transmission Line in British Columbia, and major wind developments like Wind West in Nova Scotia. To build more transmission intertie projects specifically, we will refer the development of a new comprehensive Transmission InterConnect Investment Strategy to the MPO.

In parallel, we are making Canada the best place in the world to build and invest in clean energy – from the clean economy investment tax credits and other investment incentives, to tightened methane regulations and strengthened industrial carbon pricing. We are accelerating approvals for critical mineral development and low-carbon housing. Through our Climate Competitiveness Strategy, we are unlocking hundreds of billions in investment across nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, and grid infrastructure, while making electric vehicles more affordable for Canadians.

In a more dangerous and volatile world, Canada is choosing to build. Our new National Electricity Strategy will deliver clean, affordable, and reliable energy systems built by Canadians, for Canadians.

Quotes

“In a rapidly changing and more volatile world, Canada is taking control of our future. With our new National Electricity Strategy, we will build at scale and speed to double our grid and power Canada strong with clean, affordable, reliable energy for all generations. When we master energy, we master our destiny.”

The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada

“Canada is seizing the moment to drive economic growth and secure our energy future with bold action and ambition. This new National Electricity Strategy complements our government’s efforts to advance major projects in the electricity and energy sectors. With this strategy, we are not just building the grid of the future – we are building a stronger, more competitive Canada.”

The Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy

“Canada has a clear advantage: one of the cleanest power grids in the world. Clean electricity is helping fight climate change by cutting emissions. Through the National Electricity Strategy, we are building on that strength to drive innovation, power economic growth, and keep Canadian industries competitive, while creating good jobs and positioning Canada to lead in the global clean energy economy.”

The Hon. Julie Aviva Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature

“Countries around the world are waking up to the fact that a modern economy needs a modern power grid, and that energy security is national security. When it comes to electricity, Canada starts from a place of strength – but it’s time to build on that so we have a strong, affordable, sovereign grid for years to come. Working alongside provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, and industry, we will keep reliability high and bills low as we expand clean power for all Canadians and connect our grids from coast to coast to coast.”

The Hon. Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Canada is building a faster, more reliable, and more connected electric grid to strengthen our economy and support Canadian workers and businesses. Our National Electricity Strategy will help attract investment, accelerate electrification, and ensure industries across the country have access to clean, affordable, and reliable power. At a time of rising tariffs and trade uncertainty, we’re investing in Canada’s industrial capacity and economic resilience so Canadian businesses can compete, grow, and lead in the clean energy future.”

The Hon. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

“Canadian workers are the foundation of our economic strength. Through the collaborative work of the Workforce Alliances, we will focus efforts on skills training, retraining, and retention to ensure that workers are ready to meet today’s challenges, including in electricity. This builds on the $6 billion investment through the 2026 Spring Economic Update’s Team Canada Strong initiative to recruit, train, and hire skilled trade workers. Together, these efforts create new opportunities, providing the talent needed to double the capacity of our grid by 2050 and supply clean, reliable, affordable power across the country.”

The Hon. Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

Quick facts

Today, approximately 80% of all electricity generation in Canada is non-emitting.
Canada has the lowest residential electricity costs in the G7, the second-lowest industrial electricity costs in the G7 and the OECD, and the second-highest share of clean energy generation in the G7.
Approximately $3 trillion is spent globally every year on electricity grids, efficiency, and electrification – with clean energy deployment accounting for the majority of new additions to electricity generation. By 2030, renewables are set to contribute the highest share of global electricity generation, according to the International Energy Agency.
Canada’s new government is already advancing strategic investments in the modernisation and expansion of Canada’s electricity infrastructure, including:
- Major clean economy Investment Tax Credits, such as those for clean electricity, clean technology, and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage.
- Strategic financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank (with a $20 billion clean energy target), the Canada Growth Fund, and the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program (envelope doubled from $5 billion to $10 billion).
- Programming targeted at priority areas in the electricity sector, including the $4.5 billion Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program.
- A new Productivity Super-Deduction – a set of enhanced tax incentives covering all new capital investment that allows businesses to write off a larger share of the cost of these investments right away.
- The Electric Vehicle Affordability Program, which makes it more affordable for Canadians to buy or lease electric vehicles.