TRADE WAR
Canadian manufacturing and natural resources firms are facing mounting challenges amid uncertainty over the escalating trade war with the U.S. But there’s a low-risk, tariff-proof strategy that firms are increasingly adopting to improve productivity: strategic energy management.
Energy efficiency is an abundant, made-in-Canada resource to offset tariff-related costs for industry, Efficiency Canada’s Brendan Haley writes in The Hill Times.
END ENERGY POVERTY
The launch of Canada Greener Homes Affordability Programs (CGHAP) in four provinces should kickstart a national strategy to end energy poverty, Efficiency Canada’s Katharine Turner argues in this National Observer op-ed.
— Great power: CGHAP will help 35,000 additional households access home retrofit support. Ottawa is keen to frame this as a sign that Canada is an “energy superpower.”
— Great responsibility: But nearly 2 million Canadian households struggle to afford the energy they need. Canada must roll out CGHAP in all provinces and territories, more than double the program’s funding, and launch a national strategy to end energy poverty to ensure action past 2030.
— Great need: More and more Canadians are deciding between paying for food and utility bills. After just one month, Quebec already paused applications due to “exceptional interest.” Energy efficiency experts are calling for the federal government to increase CGHAP funding.
1 MILLION HOMES
Ottawa has set a goal of retrofitting up to one million homes. It should use this opportunity to create the market changes needed to retrofit millions more homes while supporting equity and affordability.
NEW REPORTS
RETROFIT MISSION
Millions of Canadians live and work in deteriorating and inefficient buildings. Federal programs are facilitating innovative solutions but are set to run out of funding.
How Federal Policy Can Transform Building Retrofits in Canada outlines the policy and programs needed to create transformative change for buildings.
“Canada’s way of retrofitting takes too long and puts too much responsibility and risk on everyday Canadians. We need systemic change to modernize and scale how we do retrofits.”
COST-EFFECTIVENESS TESTING
Few Canadian utilities comprehensively account for the benefits of demand-side management. Effective cost-effectiveness tests can help prioritize affordable, efficient and emissions-reducing electrification.
Aligning DSM Cost-Effectiveness Testing with Public Policy benchmarks Canadian testing policies and practices, then examines how these could evolve to support key energy policy priorities.
“Cost-effectiveness testing rules are highly technical and can obscure political and economic biases. Clarifying unintended consequences can offer insights for policymaking that prioritizes affordable, efficient, and emissions-reducing electrification.”
NATIONAL UPDATES
U.S. TENSIONS
— Electricity exports: Prime Minister Mark Carney again reaffirmed Canada’s status as an “energy superpower” in remarks addressing the trade war with the U.S. Carney said “Canada fuels American growth” through the energy it sells. Counter-tariffs or reductions on energy sold could increase prices and emissions in the U.S., experts say.
— Appliance mandate rollbacks: Canada and the United States are aligned on energy efficiency and test standards for many appliance and equipment categories. The U.S.’ new plan to end select mandates would hinder energy savings in Canada and jeopardize North American harmonization. Efficiency Canada is urging the U.S. to avoid such prohibitive restrictions.
AMENDMENT 19
Efficiency Canada supports proposed updates to the Energy Efficiency Regulations that would improve energy security, climate action, affordability and trade. However, these would also introduce needless delays to compliance dates. Efficiency Canada called upon the Office of Energy Efficiency to avoid delays and strengthen minimum standards for certain categories.
HEAT PUMPS
Portable heat pumps offer low-carbon heating and cooling, energy savings, and flexibility, according to Efficiency Canada’s Sarah Riddell. But in the absence of government support, renters still face hurdles accessing them.
HOUSING CRISIS
Affordability and supply are drivers behind Canada’s housing crisis. Modernizing the housing stock through retrofits will solve the housing crisis and help Canadians weather changing climates, improve comfort, and prevent emergencies before they happen. Ottawa clearly supports new housing, but protecting existing homes is equally important, according to this Maclean’s article.
REGIONAL UPDATES
ATLANTIC CANADA
Most Atlantic Canadian homes were built before modern energy codes existed, meaning they are expensive to manage and increasingly exposed to extreme weather. ReCover’s retrofit roadmap highlights the opportunity to help decision-makers find and finance solutions, Efficiency Canada’s Betsy Agar told The Chronicle Herald.
— Agar also said Canada needs systemic change for homeowners, businesses and policymakers to think of buildings as critical infrastructure. “It’s 2026. We should be living in homes that protect us,” she told the Glass Canada podcast.
SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatoon has vowed to continue its Home Energy Loan Program despite federal funding ending within the next two years. The program allows homeowners to pay for energy efficiency upgrades like insulation and more efficient heating through property taxes. SaskPower has also applied for CGHAP funding.