JUNE 2024
What is Energy Justice? A Primer for Non-Philosophers
Rebecca Livernois
This article disentangles features of energy production, distribution, and consumption that create injustices with the aim of clarifying what constitutes energy justice. It argues that energy justice is upheld when individuals and countries minimize the harm their energy use causes while fulfilling the duty to provide energy, where possible, to those who need it to meet their basic needs.
MAY 2024
The Ontario Energy Board got the Economics Right on Enbridge Gas
Brandon Schaufele
On December 20 2023, The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) released Decision and Order EB-2022-0200, Enbridge Gas's first rate case in a decade. This decision attracted notable attention and is one of the most controversial and interesting Ontario regulatory decisions in years. It represents one of the OEB's first attempts to wrestle with the challenge of net zero and the energy transition for natural gas utilities.
APRIL 2022
Private Mineral Rights, Voluntary Carbon Credits & Payments for Conservation
Brandon Schaufele
Voluntary markets for carbon credits are growing rapidly. Purchasing carbon credits offers firms an ability to reduce their net emissions by exploiting gains from trade. Proponents are increasingly trying to capitalize on this demand by undertaking actions that yield carbon credits. Carbon accreditation processes must address three issues: permanence, additionality and leakage. This white paper explores how market interactions lead to leakage and what this implies for the market for carbon credits.
JUNE 2021
Investment in Canada's Clean Technology Sector
Jiya Hai, Guy Holburn, Sorena Rahi and Brian Rivard
This Policy Brief provides an in-depth assessment of the climate for investment in clean energy technology industries in Canada based on data from an extensive survey of senior energy sector executives conducted by the Ivey Energy Policy and Management Centre at Ivey Business School.
APRIL 2021
The Paris Agreement in 2021: Canada in a Global Context
Radoslav Dimitrov
The 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change (PA) is the main international policy agreement that defines the global response to climate change. This Policy Brief examines whether, five years after the Paris Agreement was first negotiated, major economies are fulfilling their policy pledges.
JANUARY 2021
Measuring the Economic Impact of Alberta's Crude Oil Curtailment Policy
Brandon Schaufele and Jennifer Winter
In January 2019, the Government of Alberta imposed ‘curtailment’ limits on crude oil and bitumen production. This brief measures the short-run market implications of the curtailment policy.
DECEMBER 2020
Energy in Canada: A Statistical Overview
Ramin Alahdad, Jiya Hai, Guy Holburn and Brian Rivard
This Policy Brief is an update of our 2016 Brief with the same title, and offers a statistical overview of the key contributions of the energy sector to Canada’s economy. The Brief also provides statistics on the energy industries’ progress in lowering production emission intensity in recognition of Canada’s net-zero emissions goal.
JULY 2020
The Investment Climate for Canada’s Energy Sector
Guy Holburn and Brian Rivard
This report assesses the investment climate for Canada’s electricity, gas, oil, and pipeline industries, based on responses from 260 senior energy sector executives to an online survey conducted by the Ivey Energy Centre towards the end of 2019. The goal of the survey was to better understand what factors are driving energy companies’ investment decisions and how Canada compares to other countries.
SEPTEMBER 2019
What Do We Know About Household Energy Conservation Programs? Evidence from Medicine Hat
Brandon Schaufele
In 2008, the City of Medicine Hat, Alberta, launched a large-scale energy conservation program called HAT Smart, an initiative targeted at reducing residential per capita energy consumption. This policy brief aims to evaluate the actual energy savings and net economic benefits – both in electricity and natural gas – achieved by the program. This analysis also offers an opportunity to learn from this program and situate the results of HAT Smart within a growing body of research studying similar programs offered in other jurisdictions.
MARCH 2018
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change: An Overview and Implications for Canada
Radoslav Dimitrov
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change (PA) is a legally binding but ambiguous international treaty that gives governments full discretion over domestic policies. The treaty is programmed to grow stronger over time and requires countries to revise domestic policy plans regularly, adopting more stringent emission reduction targets.
JULY 2016
Consumer Advocacy in Ontario's Energy Sector
Adam Fremeth and Guy Holburn
Recent legislation requires the Ontario Energy Board to establish a new process for the interests of consumers to be represented in its proceedings.
APRIL 2016
Up or Down? Trends in the Oil & Gas Sector’s Contribution to the Canadian Economy
Adam Fremeth, Guy Holburn, Margaret Loudermilk and Pradeep Venkatesh
The analysis of industry economic trends over time is an essential input into private and public sector planning. An accurate understanding of historic changes within and among industry sectors enables decision-makers to create better forecasts of the future, facilitating capital investment, employment and expenditure decisions.
JANUARY 2016
The Impact of Oil Price Shocks on Canadian National and Provincial GDP
Brandon Schaufele
Since 2000, Canada’s economy has become increasingly dependent on the energy sector for growth.While several studies have examined the relationship between Canadian GDP and oil prices, few investigate the implications for provincial economies.
JANUARY 2016
Energy in Canada: A Statistical Overview
Adam Fremeth, Guy Holburn and Margaret Loudermilk
It is well known that energy industries are major contributors to Canada’s economy, and today Canada is one of the world’s leading energy economies. This fact is quickly illustrated by headline statistics: Canada is the world’s 3rd largest exporter of electricity, 5th largest exporter of natural gas, 7th largest exporter of crude oil, and 8th largest exporter of refined petroleum products.
2016
Squaring the Circle: Canadian GHG Emissions
Paul Boothe, Félix-A. Boudreault and Christopher Frankel
In December 2015, the Prime Minister, accompanied by a group of Provincial Premiers, confirmed Canada's commitment to reducing annual GHG emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels, by 2030.
2016
Sharing the Burden: Canadian GHG Emissions
Paul Boothe and Félix-A. Boudreault
Policy makers agree that the rapid build-up of GHGs in the atmosphere is responsible for the climate change the world is experiencing.
2016
By the Numbers: Canadian GHG Emissions
Paul Boothe and Félix-A. Boudreault
With the election of new governments in Alberta and Ottawa, there is a sense that reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) is back on the policy agenda.
NOVEMBER 2014
Developing Global Market Access for Canada's Oil and Gas Industry
Adam Fremeth, Guy Holburn, Pradeep Venkatesh and Andre Wilkie
In the last three decades, Canada has achieved a leading position in the global oil and gas industry. But will it last? New research by Assistant Professor Adam Fremeth, Associate Professor Guy Holburn, Energy Centre research intern Pradeep Venkatesh, and André Wilkie, Associate at The Boston Consulting Group, addresses the opportunities, as well as economic risk, that Canada faces.
OCTOBER 2014
Trends in Academic Research on Canadian Energy Policy, 2000-2012
Anisha George, Guy Holburn and Margaret Loudermilk
The energy sector plays a critical role in Canada's economy at both the national and provincial levels. This report provides a review of the current state of Canadian energy policy research in academic literature.
SEPTEMBER 2014
The Duty to Consult and Accommodate Aboriginal Groups in Canada
Brandon Schaufele, Guy Holburn, Margaret Loudermilk and Andre Wilkie
Many projects in extractive and infrastructure industries such as electricity, oil, gas, mining, and pipelines are situated on lands used by Aboriginal peoples. New research by Energy Centre Research Director Margaret Loudermilk, Associate Professor Guy Holburn, and André Wilkie, Associate at The Boston Consulting Group, addresses the legislation and landmark court cases surrounding this issue.
