by Kevin Lockhart, Director, Buildings – Pembina Institute

Buildings must play a bigger role as Canada’s electricity demand is set to surge

As Canada works to meet rapidly growing electricity demand driven by electrification across buildings, transportation, and industry, there is a growing recognition that buildings must play a far more active role — not simply as energy consumers, but as integral system assets.

This month, Kevin Lockhart, the Pembina Institute’s Buildings Program Director, presented our perspective on Canada’s electrification, energy self-sufficiency, and domestic energy security at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources. The conversation was timely, shaped by growing volatility in global energy markets and a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. What follows is a summary of our core arguments.

Canada’s identity as an energy superpower needs a policy update. Energy leadership is no longer measured by export volume — it is measured by the ability to deliver clean, reliable, and cost-competitive electricity, and to use that advantage to attract investment, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and insulate the domestic economy from external shocks. Canada’s relatively low-carbon electricity system is a genuine competitive asset. Whether it remains one will depend entirely on where we invest next.

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