Canada plans stronger interprovincial transmission under national electricity strategy
Canada has introduced a National Electricity Strategy that aims to double the country's grid capacity by 2050 while supporting electrification and decarbonisation. The plan focuses on strengthening transmission links between provinces and territories, which currently operate largely as separate systems. It projects that interprovincial transmission capacity could rise by about 27 per cent by 2035 and 70 per cent by 2050, helping meet new demand from data centres, mining, manufacturing and LNG.
Canada's electricity networks have long operated as separate provincial and territorial systems, with some jurisdictions exchanging more power southward than with each other. The National Electricity Strategy, announced in May 2026, treats transmission as a national priority rather than a purely local utility matter.
It projects interprovincial capacity gains of roughly 27 per cent by 2035 and 70 per cent by 2050, and estimates that CAD1.7 billion in interprovincial investment could draw CAD6.6 billion in private transmission funding and CAD92.5 billion in renewable investment over a decade. A new Major Projects Office is meant to coordinate priority projects and financing.
Stronger interties could reshape how Canadians access power, potentially lowering costs in provinces with tight supply while exposing others to new market dynamics. Households, industry and Indigenous communities along new corridors may see both opportunities and disruptions. Data centres, mining and manufacturing stand to benefit most from added capacity, though benefits depend on how costs and approvals are shared. Whether the strategy narrows regional disparities or simply accelerates industrial demand remains uncertain.