Canadian Economy—Canada’s economy is projected to slow down this year, suggesting a weaker outlook for electricity demand. Consumer confidence remains subdued by high household debt, while export-oriented industries are facing uncertainty from the NAFTA negotiations.
Changes in Canada’s Generation Fleet—Canada’s electricity generation mix is changing as the country is committed to significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Generation capacity from solar power, wind energy, and natural gas will increase at the expense of coal, oil and diesel, and nuclear power. However, hydro power will remain the main supplier of generating capacity.
Technology Change—Canada’s electricity sector is undergoing a technologically driven transformation, from a centralized model of production toward a decentralized system. In the future, demand-management systems such as smart grids could create benefits to stakeholders by significantly increasing the efficiency of the electricity sector.