The prime minister addressed provincial leaders at the First Ministers’ Meeting in Charlottetown, announcing the government’s willingness to amend the Clean Electricity Regulations to support a plan to double Canada’s electricity grid capacity by 2050.
The proposal emphasizes unlocking the nation’s energy potential through a unified effort, stronger inter‑provincial grid connections, and substantial investment in generation, transmission, distribution, storage and grid modernization.
Amending the regulations aims to ensure short‑term power reliability and affordability while advancing the broader clean‑energy transition, requiring historic levels of funding and coordination.
Unlike previous policy targets that focused on a net‑zero grid by 2035, the new approach prioritizes baseload power supplied by natural‑gas‑generated electricity to maintain flexibility, reliability and cost‑effectiveness.
The strategy rests on four pillars: building infrastructure to double generation capacity, creating a national grid linking provincial systems from coast to coast and northward, securing a skilled workforce, and sourcing technology, labour and materials domestically.
Provincial cooperation is presented as essential, with the prime minister urging leaders to collaborate on financing models that spread costs over time to align with projected benefits.
Specific initiatives include an expanded transmission line between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick and a federal‑backed agreement for New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia to jointly plan and operate their electricity systems.
Support was also expressed for British Columbia’s North Coast Transmission Line, which is slated for future extensions north into the Yukon and east into Alberta.
The meeting highlighted progress in reducing inter‑provincial trade barriers, notably the removal of longstanding restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages across provincial borders, set to take effect early next year.
The prime minister criticized recent U.S. tariff measures, reaffirming a commitment to protect Canadian families, workers and businesses and noting the country’s stronger position after sustained domestic determination.
