Canada’s Power Grid on the Brink: Weather, Demand, and the Race to Modernize

Canada’s electrical grid faces a critical moment. Extreme weather, surging electricity demand, and outdated infrastructure push the system to its limits. While the grid has long been reliable, experts now warn that without rapid modernization, the power Canadians depend on may not always be there when it’s needed most.

For an in-depth look at Canada’s power grid challenges, read the article Canada’s Electrical Grid: Current State and Obstacles by Denis Koshelev.

Built for Export, Not Resilience

Canada’s grid has a strong focus on north-south connections supporting electricity exports to the states. Each province has at least one high-voltage link to the south. That makes for a highly integrated system with the U.S. but less connected within Canada. This leaves gaps in east-west resilience, making it harder for provinces to support each other in case of an emergency.

The grid is a complex mix of federal and provincial oversight, with provincial regulators largely responsible for day-to-day operations. Despite national standards and agreements, each province manages its own system, resulting in a patchwork of capabilities and vulnerabilities.

Extreme Weather Stresses the System

One of the greatest threats to Canada’s power grid today is extreme weather. Climate change drives more frequent and intense storms, heatwaves, and cold snaps that strain power systems. In recent years, Alberta’s grid alerts spiked, with new record electricity demands in Ontario, Quebec, and other regions as temperatures soar and energy use skyrockets.

A key example came during Western Canada’s cold snap in February 2024, when Alberta’s power demand hit record highs. With local generation limited, Alberta narrowly avoided blackouts thanks to emergency electricity imported from British Columbia. This underscored the vulnerability of the grid and the critical role of interprovincial cooperation in times of crisis.

Investment Lags Behind Demand for Canada's Power Grid

Electricity demand in Canada is expected to grow up to three times in the next 25 years, driven by population growth, electrification of transportation, and the shift away from fossil fuels. But grid infrastructure is not expanding at the pace required to keep up.

Complicating the issue, much of Canada’s existing infrastructure is aging and in need of replacement. At the same time, utilities are phasing out coal and adding more intermittent renewable energy sources, which require sophisticated grid management.

Despite the obvious risks, many utilities are not adequately preparing for climate threats. Fewer than a quarter of Ontario utilities, for example, conduct comprehensive assessments of how climate change impacts their systems. Yet proactive investment in grid resilience could significantly reduce future damages and costs.

The Path Forward

The challenges facing Canada’s grid are real, but not insurmountable. Building a stronger, more interconnected system with better east-west transmission, climate-resilient infrastructure, and robust emergency planning is essential.

The question is no longer whether Canada’s grid needs to modernize. It’s how quickly we can make it happen.