Good morning! This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements, and other government-related news concerning power generation and transmission, wind and solar, utilities, midstream companies, batteries and energy storage, LNG, biofuels and nuclear. Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to track other GR news in adjacent industries? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Oil & Gas and Construction.

Dates: 2025-12-07 to 2025-12-13

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Parliamentary Calendar
• 🇨🇦 Canadian Federal Government News
• 🗺️ Canadian Provincial Government News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Parliamentary Calendar

• Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources reviews LNG export license extension in Bill C-15: Scheduled December 11, 8:00 AM; Senator Joan Kingston chairs. Witnesses include Erin O'Brien (NRCan), Darren Christie (CER), and Major Projects Office representatives. Focus: proposal to extend LNG export licenses from 40 to 50 years.
• Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources assesses amendments to CEPA and equivalency agreements: Meeting held December 9, 6:30 PM; discussion centers on provincial equivalency agreements under CEPA as proposed in amendments to Bill C-15. Professor Mark Winfield, York University, provides testimony.
• Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications examines High-Speed Rail Network Act (Bill C-15): Meeting of December 9, 9:00 AM; witnesses include Vincent Robitaille (Transport Canada), Linda Jenkyn (Public Service and Procurement Canada), Stéphanie Johnson (Impact Assessment Agency), and Martin Imbleau (Alto/VIA Rail). Topics: PPP delivery model, assessment phases, land acquisition, and project schedule.

Canadian Federal Government News

Government announces $7 million for national energy systems modelling and decarbonization research

On December 12, 2025, Parliamentary Secretary Yasir Naqvi announced nearly $5 million in federal funding to the University of Calgary for Canada's national Energy Modelling Hub, supporting evidence-based energy transition analysis. An additional $2 million, through Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Innovation Program, targets projects advancing industrial decarbonization strategies and new energy system models. Recipients include EPRI International, Inc. (Calgary), ESMIA Consulting (Blainville, Quebec), University of Alberta, and Simon Fraser University, with allocations ranging from $450,000 to $674,280. Key initiatives involve upgrading regional energy models to improve forecasting of fuel supply, sector coupling, and long-term net-zero pathways. Open-source modelling tools will assess technology effectiveness in carbon removal and heat decarbonization for industrial sectors, with the University of Alberta's GCAM-Canada tool evaluating scenarios to 2100. This wave of funding expands access to robust data for utilities, system planners, and innovators nationwide.

Sources: www.canada.ca, www.canada.ca

Federal support for AI-enabled grid modernization in Ottawa

$6 million in federal funding has been allocated to Hydro Ottawa for the Distributed Energy Resource Accelerator (ODERA) program. Announced December 11 by Ministers Tim Hodgson and Evan Solomon, the program will leverage AI-powered predictive analytics for real-time grid balancing and optimization. Hydro Ottawa will pilot transformation of customer assets—smart thermostats, EV chargers, and home batteries—into distributed energy resources (DERs) able to respond to demand fluctuations. The project initially focuses on Ottawa’s Kanata North area, offering potential to improve system efficiency, resilience, and customer consumption management. This initiative is positioned as a scalable model for demand response and DER integration in rapidly growing urban areas.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Senate sitting passes Bill S-4 on energy efficiency standards

At the December 10 Senate sitting, Bill S-4 was approved, implementing modernization of energy efficiency standards across federal regulatory frameworks. The measure aligns standards with technological advances and supports alignment with new building codes and equipment requirements. The session also included discussions on biofuel imports, further regulatory adaptation, and continued progress on industrial energy targets. These regulatory updates are expected to impact utilities and manufacturers subject to federal efficiency regulations.

Sources: senparlvu.parl.gc.ca

Canadian International Trade Tribunal launches interim review of tariffs on Chinese photovoltaic modules and laminates

On December 11, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal initiated an interim review of its existing order on photovoltaic modules and laminates from China, following a request by Kings Solar Solutions Inc. The process will determine whether the current tariff order remains appropriate or if an exclusion for specific products should be granted. The Tribunal will issue a determination after collecting information from industry stakeholders, with implications for solar module importers and tariff compliance in Canada’s energy sector.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Government announces $2.5 million investment for Ontario’s EV innovation network

On December 12, the Government of Canada announced $2.5 million for the University of Toronto to establish Electric Vehicle Innovation Ontario (EVIO), a sectoral network uniting southern Ontario universities with EV firms and employers. Industry partners will co-fund placements, supporting hands-on research in batteries, charging, and AI mobility software, with anticipated $30 million in related economic activity. The initiative is expected to accelerate commercialization of EV technologies and strengthen domestic supply chains, connecting graduate researchers directly with industry.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Prairie Partnership Initiative launches with $200 million commitment to regional supply chains and local projects

Minister Eleanor Olszewski announced the Prairie Partnership Initiative (PPI) on December 9, targeting collaboration between federal departments to enhance job creation, export diversification, and regional supply chains in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. PPI operates alongside the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act, with funding allocated for early-stage local and regional projects, supporting smaller energy and infrastructure proposals distinct from larger nation-building efforts executed by the Major Projects Office. The three-year funding marks a new approach to regional industry support.

Sources: www.canada.ca

G7+ Ukraine Energy Coordination Group affirms support for Ukraine’s energy security

On December 12, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand co-chaired the virtual meeting of the G7+ Ukraine Energy Coordination Group, condemning Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The group outlined measures including air defence for energy assets, supply of equipment, ensuring winter energy provision, bridging funding gaps for Ukraine’s Energy Support Fund, and further reforms to Ukraine’s energy markets. The participants also supported improved governance in state-owned energy enterprises and called for comprehensive anti-corruption investigations linked to energy operations. The outcome signals ongoing Canadian government engagement on energy resilience and market reform abroad.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Canadian Provincial Government News

British Columbia implements regulatory amendments for North Coast Transmission Line

Legislation and ministerial orders effective December 8 exempt BC Hydro’s North Coast Transmission Line project from Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity requirements, simplifying connection for industrial, mining, and LNG projects, and clarifying security provisions for line access.

Sources: news.gov.bc.ca

Ontario launches $500 million Critical Minerals Processing Fund

A $500 million fund announced December 12 will expand Ontario’s critical minerals processing capacity, targeting domestic supply chain growth for minerals such as nickel, graphite, copper, cobalt, and lithium, with project eligibility managed by Invest Ontario.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Alberta fall legislative session advances Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, 2025

The Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, passed during Alberta’s fall sitting, introduces new options for data centres to meet power needs and aims to enhance province-wide grid reliability.

Sources: www.alberta.ca

New Brunswick’s largest government solar installation completed at Saint John Laundry

A 500-kilowatt solar project at Saint John Laundry achieved completion December 10, expected to generate 25% of facility needs, reduce costs, and cut emissions equivalent to 50 vehicles annually, supported by $1.9 million from the province’s Climate Change Fund.

Sources: www2.gnb.ca

Ontario invests $2.25 million to commercialize forest biocoal

Ontario’s $2.25 million investment via the Forest Biomass Program will support CHAR Technologies in developing biocoal for industrial use, supporting supply chain growth and demonstrating biofuel applications in steelmaking.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Manitoba Hydro unveils strategy to meet demand for electricity: Summary of Manitoba Hydro’s new approach addressing rising provincial electricity demand.
• Manitoba Hydro plans to free up more power by saving energy, building new turbines and wind farms: Plans for expanded generation and energy savings in Manitoba.
• NACS and plug-and-charge technology are transforming public EV charging in Canada, but there are still issues: The Globe and Mail covers developments in EV charging technology and remaining infrastructure hurdles.
• New report backs Canada’s ambition to be energy superpower as Ottawa, B.C. tout LNG: Canada’s LNG ambitions examined in context of new market opportunities.
• How an early cold snap pushed Hydro-Québec's power grid to its limit: CBC discusses operational challenges for Hydro-Québec during recent weather event.
• Grengine Selected for DIANA Deep-Tech Accelerator, Advancing Cyber-Secure Energy Solutions: DIANA accelerator supports Canadian energy security start-up.
• Five mega-trends reshaping the global energy and resources landscape in 2025: Financial Post analyzes large-scale shifts in the global energy sector.
• Opinion: China’s love affair with cheap coal power means European industry can’t compete: Commentary on coal market impacts for European manufacturing.
• StatsCan: Electric Power Selling Price Index, October 2025: Electric power pricing data for October 2025 released.
• StatsCan: Study—Powering Progress: Toward a Better Understanding of Canada's Green Economy: Productivity and resilience trends in Canada’s green industries.

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